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I 




Jlfarbarti (Tollrgr Uiljraru 
HaroM JdfiT^dii Cuiiliil^f 

lC]aB9 Df IS?]) 



L 



SKETCH 



OP 



CHINESE HISTORY, 



ANCIENT AND MODERN: 



COMPBXSINO 

A R£TROSP£CT OF THE FOREIGN INTERCOURSE 

AND TRADE WITH 

CHINA. 

iUttStf^Mr te a iifiD anH tonnUtt HUy oC ttt fiaiyite. 

BT THE 

REV. CHARLES GUTZLAFF, ( ^-oaX &i!i i. ^ . y ^ 

MOWt AMD worn M&MT TIAM VAJT, ACUSIWT IN THAT OOOHTKT. 



IN TWO VOLUMES. 

VOL. I. 



LONDON : 
SMITH, ELDER AND CO., CORNHILL, 

BOOKSELLERS TO THEIR MAJESTIES. 

1834. 



CK20.I3 



.-• C .. ' ' 



/. 



' \:y'\ 1 190; 



/ r 



■'BRABi. 






LOWOOM : \ 

PRINTED BY 8TSWART AND CO. >^ N 

OLD BAILEY. j -, 



I 



TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE 



CHARLES GRANT, M. P., 



PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF CONTROL, lie. lu.. 



Sir, 

Permit me to dedicate to you the 
following work, the merits or defects of which 
your studies, and the advantages of your posi- 
tion, enable you to appreciate or detect with 
peculiar accuracy. As you have, moreover, 
always taken a deep interest in the important 
trade with China, (the success of which it is 
the aim of my humble labours to promote,) I 
know of no public man to whom these vo- 
lumes can be more appropriately dedicated. 

I am, sir. 

With sincere respect, 
Your most obedient, humble servant, 

CHARLES GUTZLAFF. 



ADVERTISEMENT. 



China is daily becoming more and more an 
object of interest and curiosity to European 
nations, in proportion as commerce, the fore- 
runner, if not the cause, of all improvement in 
the arts of civilization, discloses its resources, 
and sheds new light on the character and intel- 
lectual cultivation of its inhabitants. Hitherto, 
the remoteness of its situation with respect to 
Britain, and the rude, inhospitable nature of its 
policy towards strangers, have concurred in per- 
petuating the erroneous impressions created by 
travellers imperfectly informed, or prone to 
exaggeration. Among the unfounded notions 
sedulously propagated by the advocates of 
arbitrary power, is, the opinion that this vast 
empire, the government of which may be re- 
garded as the beau ideal of despotism, has been 
torn by fewer revolutions and civil wars than 
the free states of the West ; and that its mili- 
tary power is a kind of colossus, fabricated by 
the wisdom of ages, which no force or policy 



i 



• • • 



VIU CONTENTS. 

Page 
Chap. IX.-^Tsin Dynasty— 249 to 206 b. c 212 

Chap. X.— Han Dynasty— 202 b. c. to 220 a. d 228 

Chap. XI.— Middle Ages— 266 to 1324 a. d.— Tsin Dy- 
nasty— 264 to 420 A. D. . ; 275 

Chap. XII.— Sung Dynasty — 420 to 479 a. d 289 

Chap. XIII.— Tse Dynasty— 480 to 502 a. d 299 

Leang Dynasty— 502 to 557 a. d 302 

Chin Dynasty— 557 to 589 a. d 310 

Suy Dynasty— 590 to 618 a. d 312 

Chap. XIV.— Tang Dynasty— 619 to 907 a. d 317 

Chap, XV.— The Woo-tae— 907 to 959 a. d.:— 

How-leang 336 

How-tang 337 

How-tsin 338 

How-han 339 

How-chow 340 

Sung Dynasty— 960 to 1279 a. d 343 

Mongol, or Yuen Dynasty— 1279 to 1368 a. d 353 

Chap. XVI.— Modem History— 1368 to 1833 :— 

Ming Dynasty— 1368 to 1644 a. d 399 






SKETCH 



07 



CHINESE HISTORY. 



CHAPTER I. 



GEOGRAPHICAL REMARKS. 



Chains of mountains, extensive deserts, rivers, 
seas, and the wide ocean, constitute the natural 
limits between the various countries of the globe. 
Departing from the Caspian Sea on the west, 
and proceeding eastward, we enter the terri- 
tories of one of the most numerous families of 
mankind, — the Scythians, so frequently alluded 
to in ancient history, who continue up to the pre- 
sent day to inhabit the immense mountain pla- 
teaus of central Asia. Though divided into 
many tribes, they may all be regarded as de- 

VOL. I. * B 



2 GEOGRAPHICAL REMARKS. 

scended from one common stock ; and whether 
known under the name of Huns, Tatars, Mon- 
gols, Mantchoos, or Turks, their visage and 
manners exhibit a striking resemblance. We 
observe, however, in the Western Tatars, a 
nearer resemblance to the Caucasian races; 
their figure is slender, their features more Euro- 
pean, their beards long, whilst the Mongols are 
distinguished by a flat nose, a prominent cheek, 
and beardless chin. The closest affinity exists 
between these and the thin-bearded Chinese, 
whose depressed noses, small and oblique eyes, 
and scanty beards, with the stiff and bristling 
hair of the head, seem to prove them to be 
branches of the same tribe. Proceeding still 
further in an easterly direction, we shall be able 
to trace the concatenation of this great family 
among the Mantchoos, Koreans, Japanese, and 
Loochooans. The Hindoo-Chinese nations form 
the link between these widely spread tribes and 
the people of India, though their Tatar features 
are the more prominent. 

We shall now take a general view of the coun- 
tries inhabited by this most numerous race of 
men. The territories of the independent Tatar 
tribes border on the west upon the Caspian Sea ; 
on the north upon the river Ural and the steppes 
of Issim; to the south upon a chain of the Hindoo 
Koosh ; while diey are separated from the tribu- 



G£OORAPHICAL KEMARKS. d 

tary tribes by the Beloor mountains. This im- 
mense tract of land may be divided into the 
country of the ELirghees, on the north, with the 
districts of Karakalnaks, and of the Arabians, 
and the states of Tashkent, and Turkestan ; on 
the west, Khawaresmia, and the country of the 
Turkomans ; on the south east Great Bukharia 
with Firgana^ and the countries of Sogd, Os- 
rushna, &c. 

Independent Tatary may be considered as a 
basin, surrounded by high mountains. The 
Beloot-Tag on the East, and the Alax-oola 
chain to the north east, are covered with eternal 
snow. Immense steppes traverse this extensive 
country in every direction, and compel the inha- 
bitants to adopt the nomadic, or wandering life. 
There are in this part of Tatary only two rivers 
of any importance, and of the lakes, the Aral 
is the largest. Here the great hordes of Kirghees 
pitch their tents; and from the Issim steppe, 
and even from beyond the Algydim-Shalo moun- 
tains, carry on their depredatory incursions 
against the neighbouring tribes, by all of whom 
they are feared as fierce and restless marau- 
ders. Turkestan, and the land of the Kipjaks 
are both countries of very limited extent. The 
inhabitants of the eastern coasts of the Caspian 
Sea are the Turkomans, who live upon a rocky, 
saody soil, scantily supplied with water. Yet 

b2 



4 GEOGRAPHICAL REMARKS. 

Tatary does not every where present the same 
dreary wilderness: to the south of the Aral 
lake are the fertile regions of Khawaresm, with 
its musical inhabitants ; and the Great Bukh- 
aria, remarkable for the fertility of its soil. This 
is the land of the Usbeks, who wrested it by 
conquest from the successors of Timour. Its 
principal provinces are Sogd, Samarkand, Vash, 
Kilan, and Badakshan. 

Even the cold regions of Siberia are inhabited 
by some Tatar tribes,* who have founded nume- 
rous colonies in the southern part of the 
Tobolsk government, and are spread as far 
north as the banks of the Tomsk, the Tchulym, 
and the Obi, differing little in their outward 
appearances from their southern brethren. 

Passing the intervening countries, and ad- 
vancing further in an easterly direction, we ar- 
rive at the Peninsula of Korea, with its immense 
number of islands on the west coast. Here we 
observe the Tatar race in its most favourable 
aspect, unmarked by those diminutive features, 
which characterise the tribes inhabiting central 
Asia. The soil being exceedingly fertile, and 
the climate healthy, man thrives and adopts 
habits of industry, while he abandons the roving 
habits which distinguish the inhabitants of more 
barren countries. 

Mantchooria is bounded on the east by the sea 



GEOGRAPHICAL REMARKS. 5 

of Japan. La Perouse's Strait affords, in this di- 
rection, a passage into the archipelagp of Yesse; 
whilst the Songaar strait forms a communication 
between the sea of Japan and the great Eastern 
Ocean. The Japanese mediterranean is sepa- 
rated from the great ocean by a chain of is- 
lands, which stretches out up to the Kurile 
islands to the north, and as far as the Loochoo 
islands to the south. These innumerable 
mountainous isles are inhabited by a race of 
people by no means inferior to the Chinese, and 
stamped with the true features of the Tatars. 
Their heads are large, their necks short, their 
noses broad and snubbed, and their eyes oblongs 
small and sunken, with deep furrowed eyelids. 
Prolific like their brethren of the continent, they 
have prodigiously increased and multiplied, ra- 
pidly extending their conquests, and peopling 
all the numerous islands of the Japan seas. 
The Loochooans, who are very little distin- 
guished from them, inhabit a few islands to the 
south, and are a more diminutive race. 

The Eastern, or Malayan Peninsula, is en- 
tirely inhabited by nations, whose Tatar origin 
is by no means doubtful ; since their eyes, their 
hair, and the contour of their limbs, clearly 
belong to thb race. The western parts are 
possessed by the Arracanese, Burmese and 
Peguans, the southern divisions by the Siamese ; 



b GEOGRAPHICAL REMARKS. 

the south-east by the Kambodians, whilst the 
eastern coast is peopled by various savage 
tribes of Tsiompa, and by the Ck>chin-chinese 
and Tunquinese, who approach nearest in their 
features to the Chinese. The interior of the 
Peninsula is inhabited by several Laos tribes, 
and a few harmless savages. The richness of 
the soil would afford to the inhabitants abun- 
dant means of subsistence, did not their indo- 
lence and want of intelligence keep them in want 
and wretchedness. 

Having given a brief outline of the nations, 
which, deriving their origin from the same stock 
as the Chinese, inhabit the various countries 
encircling this extensive empire ; we shall 
now enter into a fuller account of those nations 
and countries, which more or less acknowledge 
the Chinese sway. 

Following the divisions of the Chinese Go- 
vernment, by which they are known in native 
maps, we first mention the province of Ele, 
under which Soungaria and Eastern Turkestan 
are comprised. Its northern boundary is the 
Altai-chain ; the Chaman mountains and the 
Biver Irtish towards the north-east separate it 
from Mongolia ; on the east, according to the 
new division of territory, it borders upon China 
Proper ; the Kwan-lun mountains and desert 
of Kobi are situated to the south ; and its west- 



GEOGRAPHICAL REMARKS. 7 

em frontiers are formed by the Beloor moun- 
tains. 

When the Soungars were a powerful nation 
and had taken possession of Little Bukharia, or 
Turkestan, their capital was Ele ; and the Chinese 
also have made this the seat of their govern- 
ment. At the present moment Soungaria is a 
very small district, since the cantons of Bar- 
koul and Oroumtchi have been added to the 
province of Kan-suh, under the names of Chin- 
se-foo, and Teih-hwa-chow. Soungaria consists 
of a concave plateau^ bounded on the north by 
the mountains of Ulugh or Ulu-Tag and on 
the south by the Alak chain ; and contains 
many lakes, the largest of which is the Palkati 
or Balkash. The principal river is the Ele, 
which takes its rise in the Celestial mountains, or 
the Teen-shan. It was on the banks of the Ele 
that the Soungars, a tribe of Kalmuks, attracted 
by the richness of pasture, first fixed the seat of 
their power. Their Khan, Taid-sha, lived in a 
place denominated Harcash, where they kept 
immense droves of horses and large- tailed sheep ; 
but their homed cattle, and camels, were less 
numerous. This wide-spread Kalmuk tribe, 
of which several branches have found their way 
even to the south-eastem steppes of Europe, 
are known among themselves by the appellation 
of Derhen Oeroet, " the Four Brothers or Al- 



8 GEOGRAPHICAL REMARKS. 

lies/' They are the Se-fan or Hoshoits, who 
dwell in the neighbourhood of the Kokonorlake ; 
while the Soungars, who, at the present moment 
inhabit Soungaria, are of the Tourgouth and 
Tourbeth tribes. These latter withdrew them- 
selves from the Russian yoke, left the steppes 
of Astracan, and in 1770 removed into Soun- 
garia. The fourth tribe, the Tourbeths, have 
now amalgamated with the Tourgouths and 
Soungars. The Kalmuks are the exact re- 
presentatives of the ancient Huns, in their 
roving habits, their fierceness, horsemanship 
and whole mode of life. The anterior angle of 
their eye is directed obliquely downward towards 
the nose, the eyebrows are black and thin, the 
nose is flat and broad at the extremity, the 
cheek-bones are prominent, and both head and 
face extremely round. 

Soungaria is the Siberia of the Celestial 
Empire, a place for exiles from the most distant 
parts of China. Chinese colonists have recently 
found their way thither, and the country has 
likewise received a straggling population of 
Hassacks and Tourgouths. Upon the whole, it 
appears to be a cold, inhospitable region, only fit 
to be inhabited by a race like the Kalmuks. 

Little Bukharia, or Eastern Turkestan, the 
territory of the Eight Mohammedan cities, was 
brought under subjection to China by Keen- 



GEOGRAPHICAL REMARKS. ^ 

lung in 1738, and appears to be situated between 
the 34th and 43d parallels of north latitude, and 
between the 79th and 83d degrees of longitude, 
east from London. It is bounded on the north 
and east by the Kalmuk country ; on the south 
comes in contact with Tibet ; and on the west 
borders upon the Beloot Tag. It is watered 
by the river Yarkand, which discharges itself 
into the lake of Lop. The Tetn-shan^ or '* Celes- 
tial Mountains/' commence a little to the north- 
east of Hami, and running westward in the 
parallel of 42 degrees, separate the whole of 
Soungaria from Turkestan. Here we meet with 
the extensive desert of Kobi,* the table-land 
of central Asia. It commences on the eastern 
frontiers of Mongolia, stretching south-westward 
to the farther frontier of Turkestan, separating 
Northern from Southern Mongolia. On the 
east of Turkestan the desert widens consider* 
ably, sending forth an extensive branch to the 
north-west as far almost as Kobdo. To form 
some conception of this dreary plain, let the 
reader imagine a tract of land interspersed with 
few oases, and a continued sand-flat, thickly 
strewed over with transparent pebbles.* The 

* See Marco Polo's account of this vast desert, in the Lives 
of Celebrated Travellers, vol. i. p. 21—23. 

t See the interesting account of Bell of Antermony, in St. 
John's '^ Lives of Celebrated Travellers," vol. ii. p. 154, 155. 



10 GEOGRAPHICAL REMARKS. 

cold in winter is rigorous, whilst during the 
summer the reflected rays of the sun occasion 
an intolerable heat. Yet Turkestan is not en- 
tirely a desert ; there being many fertile tracts, 
which produce abundance of vegetable food. 
It was cultivated at an early period. Marco 
Polo found a great many cities, but the frequent 
inroads of the Tatars, and repeated invasions of 
the Kalmuks laid the land desolate. It is now 
inhabited by a peculiarly industrious race of 
people, among whom many Tourgouths, and 
Eleuths or Kalmuks have taken up their abode. 
The greater part of the inhabitants are Moham- 
medans, divided into many sects, who live in a 
constant state of hostility, and frequently dis- 
turb the Chinese frontier. The principal cities 
are Yarkand, or Yerkiang, the new capital, and 
Kashgar, the ancient capital. From its being 
divided into eight districts, which bear the 
names of their respective capitals, it is occasion- 
ally called the Eight Mohammedan Cities. 

More extensive than all the foregoing is Mon- 
golia ; but the middle of this region is a cold 
and barren table-land ; the termination of the 
vast desert of Shamo or Kobi, which is about 
1,400 miles in length. The countries of Hami, 
Lop, or similar fertile oases, afibrd agreeable 
interruptions to its dreary and forbidding mono- 
tony. The meadows along the banks of the 



GEOGRAPHICAL REMARKS. 11 

river furnish rich pasturage for the numerous 
horses of the Mongols. 

The country is divided into four parts: 1. 
Inner or Southern Mongolia, to the south-east 
of the great desert of Kobi, on the north of 
China, and west of Mantchooria. 2. Outer 
Mongolia, or the country of the Kalkas, on the 
north of Kobi, and the south of the Altai moun- 
tains, extending from the Khingan chain, on the 
frontiers of Mantchooria, to the foot of the Celes- 
tial Mountains. 3. The country about Tsing-hae 
or Kokonor, between the provinces Kan-suh, 
Sze-chuen, and Tibet. 4. The dependencies of 
Oulia-soutae, situated to the north of the Western 
Ralkas. 

The Hwang-ho, or " Yellow river," traverses 
part of Southern Mongolia ; the Selenga 
and Orchon, in the north, carry their water 
to the Lake Baikal, whilst the junction of the 
Kerolon and Olon forms the great river Amoor. 
At the base of the Bogdo Mountains is the great 
lake of Kosogol. 

This vast region is inhabited by the Mongols, 
once the scourge of the greater part of Asia and 
of Eastern Europe. They are nomades in the 
strictest sense of the word. Those who assisted 
the Mantchoos in the subjugation of China, were 
dispersed throughout the whole of the conquered 
empire, and their posterity constitutes an army 



12 GEOGRAPHICAL REMARKS. 

divided under eight standards. Many of their 
nobles fill high stations in the government, 
whilst their countrymen, in Mongolia, form nu- 
merous bodies of cavalry under the command of 
their respective native princes, who are subject 
to the Emperor of China, and frequently at- 
tached to him by the ties of blood. The twenty- 
four tribes, or Aimaks, in Inner Mongolia con- 
stitute forty-nine standards or Khochoun, — Ke, 
in Chinese. The Kalkas form eighty-six stand- 
ards ; those in the vicinity of Tsinghae, or Koko- 
nor — a country also inhabited by Kalmuks, 
Tourgouths, Tourbeths, and Hoshoits, are com- 
prehended in thirty-four standards ; whilst the 
inhabitants of Ouliasoutai are governed by a 
General, who guards the frontiers against the 
Russians. The other tribes are scattered over 
a part of Siberia, and Mantchooria. They 
choose rather to live in their tents, than to build 
cities. Amongst their settlements we find only 
one town worthy of our notice, viz. Maimatchin, 
on the very frontier of Russia, and at present 
the seat of trade with Kiakhta. Continually 
changing their place of abode from north to 
south, according to the season, they live upon 
animal food, and a few vegetables ; and are even 
happy in the midst of the desert. Their nu- 
merous flocks consist of hon^es, camels, black 
cattle, sheep, and goats, which constitute their 



J 



GEOGRAPHICAL REMARKS. 13 

riches ; and in rearing and employing them for 
their own use, they exhibit considerable skill. 

Tibet, Tangout, or Se-tsang, as the Chinese 
denominate it, comprises nearly 25 degrees of 
longitude, and above 8 of latitude. Tts boun- 
daries, on the north, are Tsinghae, or Kokonor, 
and Eastern Turkestan; on the east it bor- 
ders upon the provinces Sze-chuen and Vunnan ; 
on the south it is conterminous with the tribes 
of Noo-e, Semangheung and the kingdom of 
Ghorka ; and on the west with Badakshan in 
great Bukharia, and Kashmere in Hindoostan. 

The Chinese divide. this dependency into 
Tseen-tsang and How-tsang, or Anterior and 
Ulterior Tibet. Anterior Tibet, which borders 
upon China, contains eight cantons, and has 
Lassa, or more correctly H'lassa, for its capital. 
It includes also thirty-nine feudal^ townships 
or Too-sze, which are situated towards the 
north, and border upon Kokonor. Ulterior Ti- 
bet lies to the west, 28 degrees of longitude 
west from Peking. Its capital is Khashi^ 
Koumbou, the residence of the Bant-chin-er« 
deni ; and numbers under its jurisdiction six can- 
tons, governed by two Chinese officers, who 



* This expression must not be understood literally, for, 
strictly speaking, the feudal system has never prevailed in any 
part of Asia. 



14 GEOGRAPHICAL REMARKS. 

bear the title of Ta-chin (great nunisters.) 
These satraps occasionally consult the Dalai- 
lama and the Bant-chin-erdeni. The northern 
parts are under the immediate control of Chinese 
officers. This form of government was given 
or rather forced upon the country, during the 
latter end of Keen-lung's reign, who abolished 
the dignity of Gialbo or King. The Lamas, 
or priests, who still possess a great share in 
the affairs of government, exercise likewise a 
considerable sway over the minds of the people. 

Tibet is a plateau, elevated several thousand 
feet above the level of the sea. The Himalaya, 
^' abode of snow," a stupendous range of moun- 
tains, extends along the southern and western 
frontiers of Tibet ; the Dhawalagiri, or "White 
mountain," the highest in the world, towers far 
beyond the clouds ; other parts of Tibet are 
less mountainous, and abound in a fertile soil. 
Innumerable rivers take their rise on this table- 
land, all of which flow more or less in a south- 
em direction. The principal are the Yarou* 
tsangbo-tchou or Irrawaddy, whose source is in 
the Tam-tchoak hills. After having flowed al- 
most in the same parallel from east to west 
in Tibet, it enters Yunnan Province, crosses 
Birmah, and falls into the sea near Martaban. 

The Indus takes its rise probably near Gortope 
or Gorroo, in lat. 31° 20' N ;. long. 80° 30' E. ; 



GEOGRAPHICAL REMARKS. 15 

flows soath-west towards Kashmere, whilst it 
passes several hundred miles through a rude 
and monntainoas country, and the lower ranges 
of the Hindoo Koosh, and haying received 
many tributary streams, falls into the Indian 
Ocean. 

The river Ganges likewise takes its Tise 
on the frontiers of Tibet, amongst the Hi- 
malaya chain, and from thence enteis Hin« 
doostan, flowing in a south-westerly direction, 
till, by a westerly course, it finds its way into 
the Bay of Bengal. 

The same ridge of mountains, which gives 
birth to the Irrawaddy, contains probably also 
the sources of the Bramaputra, which, after a 
course of one thousand seven hundred miles, 
mingles, near Luckipoor, its waters with the 
Ganges. 

Tibet likewise has numerous lakes, amongst 
which, the Tengkiri is the largest. The inha- 
bitants are an industrious race of people, and 
hardy, on account of the severe climate under 
which they live ; but, of all the Tatar tribes, 
they are, perhaps, the most superstitious and 
priest-ridden. 

We ought, perhaps, to have included in this 
geographical sketch, a short outline of Bhoo- 
tan and Nepaul ; but, as it is not yet decided, 

♦ B 8 



16 GEOGRAPHICAL REMARKS. 

whether or not these provinces are to be an-^ 
nexed to China, or the still vaster empire of 
Great Britain, we at present refrain from de- 
scribing them. 

Since the accession of the present family 
to the throne of China, Mantchooria, or Mant- 
choo Tatary, has been incorporated with the 
empire. This extensive country is divided 
into three provinces: — I. Shing King, or 
Moukden, the ancient Leaou-tung; 2. Kirin; 
and 3. Tsitsihar, or Hih-lung-keang. The 
Mantchoo boundaries are, — on the north, the 
Daourian mountains, which separate Mant- 
chooria from Siberia; on the east, the ocean; 
on the south-east the Japan Sea ; on the south, 
Korea, the Gulph of Pih-chih-le, and the 
Great Wall ; on the west, Mongolia. Its aver- 
age extent from east to west is about sixteen 
degrees; from north to south, about twelve 
degrees. Subject to Kirin are several savage 
tribes, called Keyakun and Feyak. Under 
the government of Tsitsihar, are included the 
Solons and several Mongol tribes, and also the 
island of Segalien. 

The principal rivers are the Amoor, or Sega- 
lien, called by the Chinese, Hih-lung-keang, 
which forms the boundary between Mantchooria 
^nd Siberia; the Songari, which rises in the 



GEOGRAPHICAL REMARKS. 17 

Chang-pih-shan, or Long White mountains, 
near the northern frontiers of Korea. The Nonn, 
or Nonni, has its source in the large plateau, 
formed by the inner Daourian mountains, flows 
southward, and falls into the Songari. 

On the east is a long chain of mountains 
called Seih-hih-tih, which stretches along the 
coast. The Daourian mountains, on the north- 
em frontiers, are branches of the great Yablo- 
noi, or Stanovoi chain. The Hing-an-ling, or 
Sialkoi mountains form, on the north of Mant- 
chooria, an extensive plateau, through which 
the Nonni flows. Kirin and Tsitsihar are not 
unlike the Mongolian steppes ; but Shing-king 
is a very fertile country, yielding abundance 
of grain and vegetables, and is doubtless one 
of the richest parts of the Chinese empire. It 
contains, moreover, several large cities, amongst 
which, Moukden, the capital of Mantchooria, 
holds the first rank ; and, from its being the 
native place of the imperial family, enjoys 
very great privileges. Along the coast, there 
are many good harbours, and large emporiums ; 
the principal of which are Kinchoo, Kae-choo, 
and Fung-hwang-ching, on the Korean fron- 
tiers, where the Koreans carry on a trade with 
the iVfantchoos. 

The Mantchoos, a Tongoosian race, have, 
since their conquest of China, become a civi- 

VOL. I. c 



18 GEOGRAPHICAL REMARKS. 

lized people. Those who remain in their ori- 
ginal country, form» nevertheless, a portion of 
the imperial forces. Every male is obliged to 
enlist under one of the royal standards, of which 
there are eight. Many thousands are dispersed 
throughout the whole Chinese empire, where 
they are either soldiers, or hold the highest 
offices in the state. They were originally 
nomades, in manners not unlike the Mongols, 
though inferior in courage. The inhabitants of 
the northern provinces are a miserable race, 
living almost exclusively upon dried fish. In 
Leaou-tung district, they are agriculturists, and 
amalgamate with the numerous Chinese colo- 
nists, who have cultivated their soil, and are 
obedient servants to their haughty masters. 

The Celestial Empire itself deserves our parti- 
cular notice. From the earliest times of his- 
tory, China has assumed a superiority over all 
other countries. Its rulers and philosophers 
imagined that ^^ the flowery nation," the first on 
the globe, inhabited a country surrounded by 
the four seas. To them, the land of Barbarians 
was only a solitary small isle, or a frontier de- 
sert, unworthy of their notice, upon which they 
looked down with the utmost contempt. The 
great nation was to keep all nations in subjec- 
tion, and to exercise an unlimited sway over the 
four seas. China, in the eyes of its native phi- 



GEOGRAPHICAL REMARKS. 19 

losophers, is like the Polar Star in the firma- 
ment, around which the whole universe re- 
volves; like the sun in the heavens, which 
transfuses its light and warmtli over the whole 
earth. Every country exists only as Chinese 
compassion and benevolence suffers its exis- 
tence ; the exterminating and cherishing power 
is delegated to the visible vice-gerent of ma- 
terial heaven — the emperor of China — the son 
of heaven ; and all countries ought to acknow- 
ledge his supremacy and their own vassalage. 
He acts by heaven's immediate decrees ; he is 
the dreadful instrument of punishing those, who 
exhibit a refractory spirit, and of showing mercy 
to the obedient followers of heaven's will. 

These childish and extravagant notions have 
greatly influenced Chinese geographers. The 
nativQ writers have drawn a charming picture 
of the fertile soil, the splendid cities, beautifiil 
canals, majestic rivers, and romantic scenery of 
their own land, — a complete paradise on earth ; 
and in order to maintain the celestial reputation, 
some European writers have been equally bom- 
bastic in their praises, while others have endea- 
voured to obliterate by one sweeping remark, 
all these magnificent ideas. The writer is 
anxious to be impartial, and to state the result 
of his own observation. 

The best geographical account we possess of 

c 2 



20 GEOGRAPHICAL REMARKS. 

China has been drawn up by the Jesuits, who 
surveyed the country, and constructed the best 
existing maps. The accompanying one is their 
work, with some additions from native autho- 
rities. As, however, tliey only delighted in pro- 
nouncing panegyrics upon every thing Chinese, 
we cannot implicitly rely upon their descrip- 
tions. The author, indeed has frequently smiled, 
when he compared their poetical encomiums, 
with the truly wretched state of the respective 
districts. 

China is a name very probably derived from 
the dynasty Tsin. It is called by the natives 
Chung-kwo, the middle kingdom, and Tang- 
shan, the hills of Tang (the name of one of the 
most celebrated dynasties ;) the present reign- 
ing family has given it the name of Ta-tsing- 
kwo, the Empire of great Purity. In govern- 
ment proclamations, especially in those ad- 
dressed to Barbarians, it is often called Teen- 
chaou, the ** Celestial Empire;" the natives 
call themselves Chung-kwo-teih-jin, men of the 
middle kingdom, or Han-jin, or Tang-jin, men 
of Han or of Tang (from the dynasties of those 
names). The whole empire is often designated 
by the appellation Teen hea — ^under heaven. 

China Proper, is situated between the 18th 
and 41st degrees of N. latitude, and between 
the 98th and 123rd degrees longitude E. from 



GEOGRAPHICAL REJVIARKS 2t 

Greenwich, and contains about 1,298,000 
square miles. China's northern boundary is 
the Great Wall, which- separates it from Mon- 
golia and Mantchooria. On the east it bor- 
ders upon the Puh-hae, or Gulf of Pe-che-lee; 
and the Eastern Ocean; on the south it is 
bounded by the China Sea, Tunkin, the coun- 
try of the Laos, and Birmah ; on the west by 
Tibet, Little Bukharia, and Turkestan. It is 
difficult of access, excepting on the northern 
and eastern sides* The Great Wall oa the 
Tatar frontier, is wholly inadequate to the 
defence of the country against modern tactics ; 
on the east it can be assailed by any petty 
maritime power; it has every where excellent 
harbours, and ships may go a considerable 
distance up some rivers without any fear of 
meeting a force to repel them. 

The country is divided into eighteen pro- 
vinces. The four northern ones are, Chih-le, 
Shan-tung, Shan-se, and Ho-nan ; the eastern 
ones are, Keang-soo, Gan-hwuy, Che-keang, 
and Fuh-keen ; the central provinces are, Hoo- 
pih, Hoo-nan, and Keang-se ; the western are, 
Shen-se, Kan-suh, and Sze-chuen ; the south- 
em are, Kwang-tung, Kwang-se, Yun-nan, and 
Kwei-chow. These provinces are divided into 
Foos, Choos, Tings, and Heens, which names 
may answer to our counties, shires, districts, 

♦c 3 



22 6£0GBAPHICAL RSMARKS. 

and cantons^ though there exists a great dif- 
ference. 

The principal rivers in Chma are the Yang- 
tsze-kjeang, perhaps one .of the largest in the 
world. It rises* in Tsing-hae^ where it bears 
the name of Muhloosoo, then enters Sze- 
chuen, under the name of Rin-sha, traverses 
a part of Yun-nan, re-enters Sze-chuen ; after 
which, taking an easterly coarse, it flows 
through Sze^chuen^ Hoo-pih, Keang-se^ Gan« 
hwuy, and Keang-soo, where it falls into the 
ocean. This vast stream is joined to all the 
other rivers of China by canals. It would 
not be difficult, indeed, to penetrate, by means 
of this splendid river, through all the cen- 
tral provinces of China, even as far as the 
empire of Tibet. 

The Hwang-ho, or Yellow River, is also a 
very noble stream. Taking its rise at Sing- 
suh-hae, in the Mongol district of Kokonor, 
it touches Sze-chuen in its progress to ELan- 
suh, and passes through Shen-se. From thence 
it takes a course directly north, and passes 
into the territories of the Ortous Mongols; 
when, having approached the limits of the 
Kobi desert, it returns in a southerly di< 
rection, forming a boundary between Shen^^se 
and Shan-se, till it reaches the latitude of 
its source. From thence it takes an easterly 



OKOGRAPHICAL REMARKS. 2^ 

course through Ho-uan, Shan-tuug aud Keang- 
800 to the sea, which it reaches after a course of 
2,000 miles* Rivers of minor magnitude are 
numerous; the more remarkable are the Pih- 
keang, the Choo-keang, and the Pih-ho. The 
numerous canals which intersect the country, 
and render inland communication exceedingly 
easy, deserve the admiration of all foreigners. 
Amongst them is the Grand Canal or Yun*ho, 
which joins the Yellow River with the Yang- 
tsze*keang. 

The principal lakes of China are the Tung- 
ting-hoo, in Hoo-nan ; the Poy ang, in Keang-se ; 
the Tae-hoo, in Keang-soo, and several others of 
less importance. The two most considerable 
chains of mountains run, the one in a south- 
easterly, and the other in a north-westerly 
direction. Both Kwang-se and Kwei-chow, and 
several other provinces, are more or less moun- 
taincHis ; but the provinces of Chih-le and Keang- 
too ate complete plains, like Bengal. 

TlKNigh China possesses a great variety of 
climates, it is in g^ieral much colder in a given 
latitude than any other country to the west, in 
the same degrees of latitude. Its productions 
are manifold, but both in variety and quantity, 
far inferior to what is found in Europe^ Eveiy 
province has its particular soil; Rice, the great 

♦c4 



24 GEOGRAPHICAL R£HABKS. 

desideratum, is every where cultivated except 
in the northern provinces, and in very sandy 
and dry soils. A great many of the provinces 
produce tea ; fruit-trees are comparatively scarce, 
and the fruits generally inferior to those of 
Europe. Very few kinds of vegetables are 
cultivated by the Chinese, who have never 
endeavoured to transplant them from foreign 
soils; even the useful potatoe has never been 
introduced, and is only known in those parts 
to which Europeans repair. 

The breeding of horses and cattle is likewise 
neglected ; almost every kind of hard labour 
being performed by human hands, and the 
natives consuming comparatively little animal 
food. 

Though our European grains are grown, 
bread is unknown ; the Chinese cakes resem- 
bling it very little. It may be necessary, how* 
ever, to treat separately of each province. — 
Pih-chih-le, or Chih-le, the province where the 
court is established, is extremely sandy, and by 
no means fertile. Its area comprises about 
59,700 square miles, and it contains, according 
to the latest census, 27,990,871 inhabitants. 
Peking, its metropolis, the capital of the whole 
empire, situated in this province, may be re- 
garded as one of the largest cities in Asia. 



G£OGRAPHXCAL REMARKS. 25 

The coast is exceedingly flat, destitute of any 
good harbours, and bordered by extensive 
shoals, which render navigation very difficult. 
The only emporium is Teen-tsin, on the Pih-ho, 
a large trading place. 

Keang-soo andGan-hwuy, comprising 81,500 
square miles, with 72,011,560 inhabitants, which 
formerly constituted the Keang-nan province, 
are exceedingly fertile, and perhaps the most 
populous districts of all China. Nan-king, 
the ancient capital and the celebrated Soo- 
choo, lie in Keang-soo. The land towards 
the sea is a continued plain, and contains 
many thousand villages and cities. The in- 
habitants possess both skill and industry, and 
are celebrated all over the empire, for their 
literary talents. Keang-nan, however, has few 
good harbours ; the one most visited is Shang* 
hae; but its inland navigation is more im- 
portant. 

Keang-se has a fertile soil, but an over- 
flowing population, so that there is little sur- 
plus of grain for exportation. It ranks in im- 
portance perhaps after Keang-nan-soo, Its 
extent is 27,000 square miles, with 30,426,999 
inhabitants. The principal cities are Nan- 
chang-foo and Jaou-choo-foo. In the moun- 
tains are found a great variety of metals^ 

♦c5 



26 GEOGRAPHICAL REMARKS. 

but the Chinese are not very skilful in dig- 
ging mines and extracting the metal from 
the ore. 

Fuh-keen province comprises 57,150 square 
miles, and 14,777,410 inhabitants; it has also 
Formosa or Taewan under its jurisdiction. The 
southern part is very barren, not affording a 
sufficient supply of grain even for the am- 
sumption of the natives, and it is supplied 
with great quantities from the rich granary of 
Formosa. The northern districts are more 
fertile, and produce abundance of tea. No 
part of the Chinese coast has so many good 
harbours, and nowhere in China is so brisk a 
trade carried on. The inhabitants are very 
e.te>pri«ng, a»d em.gn.te in g.«at ^CZ 
to the southern regions of Asia. They are 
decidedly a commercial people, and veiy par^ 
tial to foreigners. Amongst the ports, we 
only mention Amoy, Tseuen-choo or Chin-choo, 
and Fuh-choo-foo, the capital of the province. 
Formosa itself is one of the most fertile is- 
lands in the world. It produces large quan* 
titles of rice and sugar, besides camphor and 
many other valuable articles. The western 
coast runs out into a very large sand-flat, from 
which the sea continually recedes. Its har- 
bours are very few. Between Formosa and the 



GEOGRAPHICAL REMARKS. 27 

continent the Piseadores are situated, which, 
though exceedingly barren, are important as mili- 
tary stations, and possess excellent harbours. 

Ghe-keang, the land of silks and green teas, 
contains 57,200 square miles and 26,256,784 
inhabitants. It is thickly inhabited, and its ci- 
ties are perhaps the finest in the empire. Hang* 
choo, its capital, is celebrated all over China 
for its beauty and the romantic scenery in the 
environs. There are many large emporiums 
and good harbours, among which Ningpo holds 
the first rank ; and next in order follow Chapo, 
Wan-choo, and Tae-choo. Amongst the nume- 
rous Chusan group, there are several excellent 
harbours sheltered against all winds. 

Hoo-pih and Hoonan comprise the territory 
formerly called Hoo-kwang province ; the former 
contains 27,370,098, and the latter 18,652,507 
inhabitants, upon a superficies of 168,300 square 
miles. The fertility of these provinces is highly 
extolled by Chinese writers, but they yield no- 
thing for exportation. The principal cities are 
Woo-chang-foo and Chang-sha-foo. 

Honan, with 62,000 square miles , and 
23,037,171 inhabitants, is considered as the 
first tract of land which was inhabited by the 
Chinese, and where Fuh-he held his court. The 
greater part of the country is a plain, which, 
towards the west, swells into mountains. The 



1 



28 GEOGRAPHICAL REMARKS. 

capital is Kae-fung-foo, a large city, with a 
very industrious population. 

We now approach Shan-tung, the native 
country of Confucius. Its coast has very rocky 
promontories and fertile valleys, but the over- 
grown population, amounting to 28,958,760, 
upon 56,800 square miles, exhausts the soil. 
Along the whole coast we meet with good har- 
bours, the rendezvous of numerous junks : the 
principal emporiums are Ting-choo-foo and 
Kaou-choo-foo. Pinching poverty forces great 
numbers of the inhabitants from their native 
soil. They go in quest of livelihood to Leaou- 
tung, and furnish from thence their poor rela- 
tions with the necessaries of life. The grand 
canal, or Yun-ho, runs through a part of this 
province, and is navigated by innumerable 
small craft. All the grain-junks which bring 
the tribute of the provinces to the capital, have 
to pass through it on their way to Peking. 
The capital is Tse-nan-foo. 

Shense numbers 10,207,256 inhabitants upon 
167,700 square miles ; it is less populous than 
any of the foregoing provinces, though the an- 
cient Chinese had colonized here at a very early 
period. The capital is Se-gan-foo. As starva- 
tion is seldom heard of in this province, we may 
conclude that the soil furnishes sufficient food 
for the inhabitants. 



GEOGRAPHICAL REMARKS. 29 

Shan-se, as well as Kwei-chow, are sterile 
and mountainous provinces, which grow very 
little rice, and are therefore thinly inhabited. 
Though Yun-nan is of greater extent, the num- 
ber of inhabitants amounts to scarcely more 
than five millions; for the country is very 
mountainous, and inhabited by barbarians. We 
should have given the exact number of in- 
habitants, if we could rely upon the Govern- 
ment's census as far as it regards these three 
provinces. Kan-suh seems to be better inha- 
bited; the census gives more than fifteen mil- 
lions. This province has been greatly enlarged 
by adding to it the Soungarian districts of 
Barkoul and Oroumtsi. The population is very 
mixed, but the prolific Chinese race greatly 
predominates. 

There remain now only Sze-chuen, Kwang- 
tung, and Kwang-se. Sze-chuen is the largest 
of all the provinces, for it comprises 175,600 
square miles, with comparatively a small num- 
ber of inhabitants, viz. 21,435,678, which gives 
only 122 to every statute mile. Those portions 
of the province which are, without doubt, capa- 
ble of cultivation are very fertile, but ridges of 
mountains and sand-flats render a great part of 
the soil useless. The capital is Ching-too-foo. 

Kwang-tung is better known to Europeans 
than any other province. It has 97,100 square 



30 GEOGRAPHICAL REMARKS. 

miles, with 19,174,030 inhabitants, a number 
certainly not overrated. There are several good 
harbours on the coast, but none equal to those 
in the neighbourhood of the provincial city, 
Kwang-choo-foo or Canton. Canton is one of 
the greatest emporiums in Asia, and the only 
place in the Chinese dominions legally open to 
foreigners. It is a large city, and has a nume- 
rous population. They are very skilful in imi- 
tating European manufactures, and possess, in 
many points, greater abilities than the rest of 
their countrymen. But it is not to be inferred 
that the whole province is inhabited by the same 
race ; those who live eastward from Canton re- 
semble the Fuh-keen race, rather than the inha- 
bitants of the metropolis. Kwang-tung appears 
to be a rich province, and the exports are very 
numerous. Keung-choo-foo, or the island Ha- 
enan, belongs to its jurisdiction. In the moun- 
tains of Kwang-tung and Kwang-se live great 
numbers of the Meaou and Yaou tribes, who 
appear to be the aborigines of the country. 
Throughout all the mountainous districts of 
China, but especially towards the south, rem- 
nants of various uncivilized tribes are to be met 
with, some of which have submitted to the Chi- 
nese government, while others still maintain 
their liberty by force of arms. 
Kwangse has only 7,313,895 inhabitants upon 



GEOGRAPHICAL REMARKS. 31 

87,800 squafe miles. It produces abundance of 
grain. The mountains are rich in ore, and even 
gold-mines are to be found ; but the policy of 
the Chinese government does not allow the 
working of them upon a large scale, for fear of 
withdrawing the attention of the people from 
the cultivation of the soil. The capital is Rwei- 
lin-foo. The adjacent country is inhabited by 
many barbarous tribes, who frequently commit 
great ravages. 

Whilst giving the enormous sum of 367 mil- 
lions as the actual number of inhabitants in 
China, the author is fully persuaded, that the 
last imperial census is as near the truth as it 
can be ascertained. Those parts of the empire 
which he has visited are extremely populous. 
He has taken the trouble of examining some 
parts of the census, and numbering the houses 
of small districts, and has invariably found, that 
the population was under-rated. The Chinese 
are naturally a very prolific people ; few indivi- 
duals only live a single life ; early marriages, 
which seldom prove barren, are general through- 
out the empire. Grovemment has always en- 
couraged the matrimonial estate, and their 
ancient institutions devote a childless man to 
contempt. Thus the population must increase 
and multiply on a progressive scale. As the 
wants of the common people are so very few, 



32 GEOGRAPHICAL REMARKS. 

and their habitual industry renders every barren 
spot tributary to them, we may easily conceive, 
that so large a population can find the means 
of subsistence. 

The estimate of the whole extent of the 
Chinese territory is 3,010,400, square statute- 
miles, 1,298,000 of which constitute the area of 
China Proper. The whole empire is thus larger 
than Europe and the population is at all events 
far more numerous. It is very probable, that 
neither the Persian, nor the Macedonian Em- 
pires ever equalled China in extent of territory 
or in populousness ; even the Roman monarchy 
during the age of Augustus could never muster 
80 many subjects. Thus stands this colossus, 
peerless, if compared either with any state whose 
greatness is recorded in ancient or modern his- 
tory, and looking back upon the many centuries 
of its existence, during which all its contempo- 
raries have decayed and mouldered in the dust, 
whilst China alone has stood the test of ages ; 
though conquered and over-run by a destructive 
enemy, it has never been annihilated. The 
Chinese nation has never amalgamated with 
any other, as have all the other large nations 
of the globe, but has been constantly extending 
and mingling with the adjacent barbarian 
tribes, until the great superiority of their num- 
bers have exercised an overpowering influence. 



GEOGRAPHICAL REMARKS. 33 

The Chinese empure now comprises a greater 
extent of territory than under any of the pre- 
ceding dynasties, and its population was never 
at any former period so large. The thought, 
that so many millions are slaves to debasing 
superstition, and under the iron rule of anti- 
quated custom, is dark and cheerless. But the 
day will certainly come, when the hand of the 
Almighty shall be stretched out to redeem them 
from spiritual bondge. 



VOL. I. ♦d 



34 



CHAPTER II. 

GOVERNMENT AND LAWS. 

At the head of the Chinese government stands 
the emperor, as the son of Heaven, Heaven's 
vicegerent below, invested with unlimited power 
and virtue, the sole distributor of Heaven's 
favours on earth. His station is so greatly ele- 
vated above that of all common mortals, that he 
demands the adoration of his subjects, not un- 
like the Roman emperors of old. Besides the 
appellation of Teen-tsze, " heaven's son," he 
is called Hwang-te, ** the august emperor," or 
Hwang-shang, "supremely august;" Ta-hwang- 
shang, '' the great supremely august," and 
Shing-choo, " the holy lord." In addressing 
him, it is not very uncommon to use the phrase 
Wan-suy-yay, " the lord of a myriad of years ;" 
or, in speaking of him as we say " his ma- 
jesty," *' the court, &c.," the Chinese make use 
of the phrase Chaou-ting, " the palace." The 
mandarins, as well as the other natives, not 
only prostrate themselves when in the presence 
of his imperial majesty, but also before a tablet, 



GOVERNMENT AND LAWS. 35 

with the ^inscription, Wan-suy-yay. Dressed 
in a robe of yellow, the colour worn, say the 
Chinese, by the sun, he is surrounded by all 
the pageantry of the highest dignity in the 
world ; whilst the extensive empire lies pros- 
trate at his feet. But, notwithstanding his ex- 
alted station, he is, nominally, the father of his 
people ; though, under the appearance of the 
most lenient patriarchal government, his sway is, 
in fact^ that of the most absolute despot. In no 
country in the world is tyranny so well cloaked 
under the endearing names of paternal autho- 
rity. Punishments are denominated mere chas- 
tisements, even when the criminal i^ cut to 
pieces, or perishes cruelly by a slow and most 
ignominious death. The emperor of China, the 
common father of an immense family, does not 
punish, but correct ; he is actuated by the most 
tender compassion, when he sucks the blood of 
the subject and tramples upon the laws. Like the 
pope, in Europe (and he is nothing but a poli- 
tical pope, equally arrogant in pretensions), the 
emperor is almost considered infallible. But 
with the view of curbing, in some degree, his tre- 
mendous authority, the law has appointed cen- 
sors over his conduct, whose admonitions, how- 
ever, he may not choose to receive. Ordinary 
characters, even when seated on the throne, 
will always be under a certain control ; but, a 

d2 



36 GOVERNMENT AND LAWS 

tyrant of strong mind and great capacity may 
oppress China with impunity. 

For the maintenance of the court, which is 
extremely numerous, many thousand grain junks 
are annually sent up to the capital with the 
tribute of the respective provinces. The im- 
perial revenues are enormous ; but the expenses, 
on the other hand, are equally great. Of the 
palace,]the most pompous descriptions have been 
given; but those who have viewed it without 
prejudice, find only a great collection of dirty 
buildings, kept in bad repair. It is inclosed 
with a wall about twelve Chinese Le in circuit. 
The imperial hall of audience is a very spacious 
apartment, upon the floor of which every Man- 
darin, who enters the presence, has his place 
assigned. The throne is a simple but lofty 
alcove, devoid of ornament, bearing the in- 
scription Shing, holy, sacred. In front of it are 
placed large brazen vessels, in which incense is 
burnt continually; for the emperor receives 
from his subjects the same homage as the idols. 
On court-days the assembled mandarins come 
to kow-towj literally "knock head," whether 
the emperor be present or not. The massive 
gates and walls of the imperial palace give it 
the appearance of a fortress ; and the harem, 
which forms a large portion of it, is an extensive 
range of buildings, containing a great number of 



GOVERNMENT AND LAWS. 37 

females. The emperor has likewise several plea* 
sure houses, with extensive gardens, to which 
he occasionally repairs. On solemn occasions, 
when he goes forth to plough the field, or to 
pay his adoration to Heaven and Earth, he is 
accompanied by a numerous escort of officers 
and princes of the blood. Otherwise, like all 
eastern monarchs, he seldom appears in public. 
During the reign of the existing dynasty, how- 
ever, it has been customary for the emperor 
to engage, during the autumn, in hunting ex- 
cursions. 

Though invested with the utmost political 
power, the emperor performs also the office of 
high-priest, in which capacity he repairs to the 
imperial temples, where he repeats a form of 
prayer, which has been in use on similar occa- 
sions during many ages. If any calamities afflict 
the country, he is wont to accuse himself as the 
cause, and to utter the prescribed lamentations, 
in order to appease the gods. Thus, he keeps 
on good terms with heaven, earth, hills and 
rivers, and all the nation. As much of his ac- 
tions as he wishes to be known, are recorded in 
a daily gazette, which is but a dry detail of or- 
dinary and uninteresting occurrences. His pro* 
clamations are framed according to a prescribed 
form ; for he only examines, or, rather, causes 
to be examined, the ancient records, and writes 



38 GOVERNMENT AND LAWS. 

and acts conformably ; although he is careful to 
reserve for himself the liberty of setting aside 
his declared intentions, whenever it suits his con- 
venience. One remark, in regard to all Chinese 
institutions, which applies also to the emperor, 
may here be made : — the theory is, in many in- 
stances, very excellent, but the practice is gene- 
rally exceedingly defective. A crafty, lying, 
base spirit pervades the court, and all the of- 
ficers of government. Persons have nowhere, 
indeed, to complain of a want of fair words ; 
but the actions, which form a contrast to them, 
are abominable. A well organized system of 
oppression is carried on from the highest minis- 
ter of state to the pettiest mandarin ; every 
one is most anxious to exercise his rapacity 
upon those below him ; and those, in their turn, 
practise the same tyranny towards their in- 
feriors. 

The present imperial family is very numer- 
ous ; and the nearest, as well as the most dis- 
tant relations wear a badge, indicating their 
high descent. They are seldom, however, en- 
trusted with high offices of state, lest they 
should meddle with politics, and endanger the 
safety of the government. The princesses in- 
termarry with Mongol princes, to bind these 
unruly hordes by the ties of blood, the most 
powerful in nature. At their marriage, they 



GOVERNMENT AND LAWS. 89 

receire from the imperial treasury a certain 
dowry, and a moderate revenue for life. 

The supreme government consists of the fol- 
lowing departments. At the head of all the 
tribunals stands the Nuy-ko, or cabinet, com- 
posed of Mantclioos and Chinese, which has 
also a herald's officer attached to it. The Tsung- 
jin-foo, a board for the control of the imperial 
family, ranks very high, but has no direct in* 
fluence on state affairs. 

The six tribunals are : — 

1. Le-poo, the tribunal of officers, by which 
are selected those civilians who are invested 
with rank, and promoted or degraded. 

2. Hoo-poo, board of revenue, which super- 
intends the imperial treasury, territory, and po- 
pulation, receives and disburses, &c. 

3. Le-'poo, board of rites, which watches over 
the maintenance of decorum, and of the strict 
uniformity to ancient regulation, that the ne plus 
ultra wisdom of antiquity may not be encroached 
upon by innovation. This tribunal has likewise 
the charge of the ceremonial, where the spirits 
of heaven and earth, and the manes of the {an- 
cestors are invoked, in order that no object of 
national superstition may be defrauded of bis 
due. With a firm hand they restrain every 
thing within the prescribed form; spare the 
people, as well as the emperor, the trouble of 



40 GOVERNMENT AND LAWS. 

thinking and acting for themselves ; and vigor- 
ously resist every improvement as highly dan- 
gerous. A breach of etiquette is visited with 
their highest displeasure ; for all the rites aiid 
ceremonies having been distinctly pointed out 
by Confucius, it would be impiety to be wiser 
than the great sage. If they met with the same 
disobedience as similar tribunals in Europe, 
and possessed equal powers of mind, this board 
would be as severe as the Inquisition in Spain. 

4. Ping-poo, the tribunal of war, superintends 
all military affairs, and appoints the officers of 
the army. 

5. Hing-poo, the tribunal of punishments, is 
the guardian of all the law, which watches over 
the public safety. In China, the numerous 
petty laws in force are the mere instruments 
of those who are intrusted with their execution. 
The will of the emperor is law, a mandarin's 
will is law ; — justice to the best bidder. — Such 
is the true picture of the state of affairs. 

6. Kung-poo, the board of works, which has 
the superintendence of all the public buildings, 
fortresses, walls, dykes, &c. One might be 
led to think, however, that the present gene- 
ration had ceased to care for their public build- 
ings, since every thing belonging to government 
is in a state of dilapidation ; yet this board 
continues to exist. 



GOVERNMENT AND LAWS. 41 

Under the control of the board of rites there 
is also a board of music ; which may be re- 
garded as a mere mockery, for though this in- 
stitution was founded with the intention of 
promoting harmony by music, an ancient Chinese 
custom, nothing could be more inapposite ; for 
the sounds are harsh and grating to the ear, 
and instead of tranquillizing the mind, give rise 
to unpleasant feelings in all those who are in 
any degree conversant with the principles of 
harmony. 

There is also a colonial office, called Le-fan- 
yuen, which regulates the affairs of the de- 
pendent states. All the members of this board 
are either Mantchoos or Mongols ; so that the 
respective tributary princes may have confi- 
dence in referring whatever concerns their in- 
terests to their own countrymen, who are in 
power. 

The Too-yu-she, or *• censors," constitute a 
separate body, whose office is called Too-cha- 
yuen. It is their duty to watch over the words 
and actions of the emperor, and to upbraid 
him freely for every species of misdemeanor. 
We are likely, perhaps, to be reminded, by 
this institution, of the Roman censors, whose 
stem animadversions filled that queen of the 
earth with trembling ; but we shall be greatly 
mistaken, if we imagine that a Chinese cen- 



42 GOVERNMENT AND LAWS. 

80T is the same unbending man. They are 
a servile class, who fawn when they ought to 
blame ; but those few exceptions to this general 
remark, are extolled to the skies ; and, under 
such a despotic government, unquestionably 
deserve great credit. 

The national college, or Han-lin*yuen, is 
a body of learned doctors, who have arrived 
at the most extensive celebrity, and are the 
guardians of Chinese literature. They are eli- 
gible to the highest offices of state, and ex- 
ercise great influence in the most important 
affairs of government. Their learning con- 
sists in the knowledge of the Chinese classics, 
works which a schoolboy cons, and a Han- 
lin explains. Genial knowledge is excluded 
from this department. If they can write a good 
essay, discourse upon the doctrines of Con- 
fucius, and unite with this a knowledge of their 
own country, and a few imperfect geographi- 
cal notions, they are truly learned men. But 
woe unto him who should be daring enough to 
utter any thing beyond what Confucius has 
taught. Their learning does not consist in 
examining, but in blindly following established 
principles. 

There are several bureaus for reviewing and 
dispatching petitions and edicts. The officers 
of the imperial household are likewise divided 



GOVERNMENT AND LAWS. 48 

into separate bodies, who hold a very high rank 
in the empire. 

The Kin- teen-keen, *' the imperial astrono- 
mical board/' has been much celebrated. As 
an Asiatic establishment, indeed, it deserves 
a great deal of credit ; but, to compare it with 
any of our European institutions, is really ridi- 
culous. It has been greatly improved by the 
labours of Europeans; but as these, at the 
present moment, are dismissed from the service, 
it is very likely, that it will fall again into utter 
decay. 

The above-named are the principal officers 
in the capital. Before speaking of the govern- 
ments of the provinces, it will, perhaps, be ne- 
cessary to give a general idea of the different 
grades of the mandarins, who, whether military 
or civil, are divided into nine ranks, or Pin, 
every one of which is again sub^divided into 
principal and secondary. The distinguishing 
badge of these respective ranks are, a button 
or knob worn on the cap, and certain embroidery 
on the front and back of th^r state robes. Those 
of the first two ranks wear in their caps a red 
coral globe ; the ornament of the third or fourth 
is of a light or dark blue colour ; that of the fifth 
is of crystal ; that of the sixth is of white stone, 
while the globes of the inferior ranks are of 
gold, or gilded brass. 



44 GOVERNMENT AND LAWS. 

Only the highest officers of state wear a red 
button, such as prime ministers, imperial guar- 
dians, cabinet ministers, &c. Viceroys of pro- 
vinces and rulers of the before-mentioned 
boards, are invested with the second rank. In 
the third and fourth are included the officers in 
a province ; in the fifth and sixth the secondary 
officers ; in the seventh and eighth, the civi- 
lians of inferior distinction ; and, in the ninth, 
clerks and other petty officers. 

The provinces are governed either by a vice- 
roy or his lieutenant, who represents the em* 
peror in all his functions, and is called the 
father of the province. The principal officers 
of the districts stand in the same relation to 
those over whom they rule, and are supposed to 
imitate the emperor in the exercise of benevo- 
lence. Besides a governor, there is, in some of 
the larger provinces, also a lieutenant-governor. 
The former is called Tsung-tuh, the latter Foo- 
yaen. Besides them, there is the Te-tuh Leo- 
ching, the first literary officer in the province, 
who also occasionally controls the army; a 
Poo-ching-sze, who, amongst his various em- 
ployments, holds that of treasurer ; 6an-cha- 
sze, or criminal judge ; a Yen-yun-sze, or salt- 
inspector, and a Leang-taou, or inspector of 
the public granaries. 

At the head of a Foo, district or department^ 
is the Che-foo, who has under him several other 



GOVERNMENT AND LAWS. 45 

inferior officers ; the same is the case with the 
mandarins of the Chow, Heen, and Ting dis- 
tricts, all of whom have their assistants and de- 
puties in every department of public business. 

The whole Chinese system of government is 
pervaded by a spirit of regularity unknown in 
any other part of Asia. All the parts are 
closely linked together ; every document has to 
pass through numerous hands before it reaches 
its final destination. Though this is a very 
dilatory way, it prevents numerous mistakes* 
We might compare this government to a steam- 
engine, receiving its propelling power from Pe- 
king, and communicating it, by means of nume- 
rous wheels, to all parts of the empire. All 
business is performed in a regular routine ; no 
new regulation interrupts the once adopted 
course; age after age, affairs are transacted 
in the same manner, without the least devia- 
tion. In general, the civil officers are well 
paid ; but they are not content with the impe- 
rial stipend, for whatever the stated salary may 
amount to, double this income is acquired by 
extortions. There are, it is true, very severe 
laws against this nefarious practice, but as too 
many are implicated in the crime, it is in vain 
to expect the execution of a law which de- 
nounces all parties. Now and then, however, 
a tyrannical governor is made an example of, to 
terrify others from pursuing a similar course. 



46 GOVERNMENT AND LAWS, 

As all principles of good government and the 
whole code of virtue are, according to Chinese 
opinion, contained in the Classics, it is indis- 
pensably necessary for every one, who wishes 
to hold any public station, to be well versed in 
these writings. The government, therefore, 
from the time of the Tang dynasty, has insti- 
tuted regular examinations, open to all those 
who wish to become candidates for public em- 
ployments. ,When they have studied the Clas- 
sics thoroughly, and are able to give satisfac- 
tory answers to the questions proposed, they 
are admitted to the lowest degree of scholarship 
(sew-tsae) — from thence they advance to the 
rank of keu-jin ; this renders them eligible for 
officers of state. Beyond this, there are only 
the degrees of Tsin-sze and Han-lin. The em- 
peror appoints literary examiners, whose sole 
business it is to pronounce impartially their 
judgement upon the essays produced at the 
examinations. The utmost integrity is required 
from those who are invested with this high of- 
fice ; but nevertheless a great deal of clandestine 
management is carried on, both with and with- 
out their knowledge. Offices are also sold to 
the best bidder^ a custom highly injurious to 
the interests of a country. 

In all despotic governments in Europe we 
have a secret police, and in China there exists 



GOV£RNM£NT AND LAWS. 47 

something similar. The emperor employs his 
inspectors to pry into every man's affairs, and 
to report according to what they have seen or 
heard. Upon the greater offices of government 
seme person always acts as spy, in the capa- 
city of a clerk or aide-de-camp. These men 
communicate freely with the cabinet, and have 
also access to the imperial presence. 

Whilst contemplating this immense engine, 
we may, perhaps, be astonished that so large a 
machinery keeps together. How many jarring 
interests must be conciliated, how many bad 
designs counteracted ! Nevertheless, the whole 
fabric keeps well together ; some praise, there- 
fore, is due to the Chinese system of governing, 
which, vnth all its defects, is suited to the 
genius of the nation. However, it is easy to 
draw a dyke around a stagnant water to keep 
the country from inundation; the matter is 
quite different when we have to provide against 
the inroads of a foaming sea, or the rapid cur- 
rent of a swollen mountain-stream. China, 
with all its millions, is in a lethargic state; 
there is no mental vigour, no wish for any thing 
better than the existing state of things, and 
therefore it is very easily retained in subjection 
by a paltry and weak government. 

To maintain this despotism, and to inspire 
awe in all the surrounding barbarian states, the 



48 GOVERNMENT AND LAWS. 

Chinese government keeps up a nominal anny 
of more than a million soldiers, besides the 
militia and the numerous standards of Mongol 
cavalry. This number seems prodigious ; but 
we must deduct from this enormous number 
many myriads, whose names are merely en- 
tered in the books, but who never enter into 
actual service. A Chinese soldier is a citizen 
of the state,* who receives very little pay, and 
rice just sufficient for his daily maintenance; 
he is, therefore, obliged to support his femily 
by some other means. The emperor seems, in 
some measure, to have provided for this, by 
giving to the Mantchoo, and other corps, por- 
tions of land, which they cultivate. Few of 
them are unmarried; the greater number are 
attached to the soil, and unwilling to leave their 
families behind. It is a well-known fact that 
the Chinese have very little martial courage, 
and the Mantchoos are upbraided by one of the 
emperors for being still great cowards. If they, 
therefore, seek their safety in flight whenever 
they meet with a reverse, we need by no means 
be astonished. Several corps have the charac- 
ter, valour y painted on the hcu:k of their jackets ; 
and nothing can be more characteristic of the 
Chinese martial spirit. The generals, though 

* Resembling exactly the Janissary of the Ottoman empire, 
previous to the reforms of Mahmood. 



LAWS AND GOVERNMENT. 49 

no great tacticians, know how to negotiate, 
and therefore, wherever military force is of no 
avail, money will infallibly do the work. 

The whole army is divided into standards or 
corps, which are distinguished by their diffe- 
rent borders and colours, not unlike our bri* 
gades ; these are again subdivided into camps 
and wings — the right, left, and middle. They 
are commanded by officers who must undergo 
some examinations in the military art, such as 
archery, throwing a javelin, &c. before they can 
arrive at any rank in the army. They are 
reckoned far below the civilians, who are thrice 
as well paid, and who treat a military officer 
like a police agent ; which has brought the whole 
body into disrepute. The greater part of the 
officers are raised from the ranks, but before 
they are promoted they must regularly take 
their degrees, like the civilians, though their 
promotion is more rapid. Besides, they are 
generally natives of the place where their corps 
is stationed. The titles of the principal officers 
in a province are Te-tuh, commander-in-chief of 
the forces, — ^Tseang-keun, a general, — Tsung- 
ping, lieutenimt-general, — Foo-tseang, colonel^ 
— Tsan-tseang, sub-colonel, — Yew-keih, lieu- 
tenant-colonel, — Too-sze, major, — Show-pei^ 
captain, — Tseen-tsung, lieutenant, — Pa-tsung, 
sub-lieutenant, — Wae-wei, serjeant. All these 

VOL. 1. £ 



50 LAWS AND GOVERNMENT. 

ranks are distinguished by the buttons* which 
they respectively wear. The principal weapons 
of the Chinese are bows and arrows ; they have 
also very clumsy matchlocks ; their guns, most- 
ly made of iron, are without carriages ; and they 
have besides a great variety of arms, which 
are, however, by no means generally used. 
The theory of tactics is very well defined, 
though not. applicable to its full extent. The 
long peace of the empire has induced an obli- 
vion of the practical parts of warfare. Though 
the laws are very strict, they cannot inspire the 
Chinese soldiery with valour. The law says : 
** It is the duty of a soldier in the day of battle 
always to press forward bravely and impetuous- 
ly ; for whosoever, through fear, or anxiety to 
save his life, flees, must by the laws of war be 
decapitated, and his head exposed to the multi- 
tude as a warning." If this law were executed, 
the whole Chinese army, with very few individual 
exceptions, would doubtless undergo death. 

The Chinese navy is very extensive, number- 
ing, perhaps, one thousand sail, small and large 
ships included; the men-of-^war, however, are 
mere junks, which mount a few cannon, but 
they have no very large vessels. There are 
generally three high-admirals, Shwuy-sze Te- 
buh, who command the imperial navy. Their 
ignorance of naval tactics is such, that even the 



LAWS AND GOVERNMENT. 51 

* 

mercbant-junks are superior to the imperial 
cruisers, which are commonly at a loss to know 
bow to act in any case of emergency. In 
1832, a Canton man-of-war having been driven 
down the coast, and finally into a Cochin-Chi- 
nese harbour, the king of Cochin-China had the 
humanity to fiimish it with a pilot and two of 
his junks, without the aid of which they would 
not have been able to return to Canton. In 
1829, a government frigate was sent from the 
Fuh-keen province to Formosa ; strong north- 
easterly gales forced her down the Formosa 
channel ; she could neither retrace her way nor 
make the land ; but, after much beating about, 
she arrived at Ligor, in Siam. There are many 
naval stations on the coast, of which Canton, 
Amoy, and Ningpo are the principal. Their 
squadrons generally remain in harbour, or cruise 
about for a few days only. The author once wit- 
nessed an attack of a pirate upon a merchant- 
junk. Five men-of-war were at anchor at the dis* 
tance of three miles, observing the contest, but 
th^ did not think it worth their while to hasten 
to the assistance of the suffering party. Piracy, 
which, many years ago, was carried on to a very 
great extent, could never be put down by the 
united efforts of the imperial fleet; wearied 
with their vain efforts, they at length bought 
over the chiefs, made them mandarins of high 

e2 



62 LAWS AND GOVERNMENT. 

rank, and thus put a temporary stop to the 
atrocities daily committed upon defenceless 
traders. Whenever European ships sail along 
the coast, the naval officers receive orders to 
drive them away, and not to allow them to come 
to an anchor for one moment. Yet the united 
squadrons of several harbours could never mus-* 
ter so much courage as to compel a single ship 
to get under weigh ; on the contrary, the terror 
which a single ship inspires is so great, that the 
Chinese fleet will rather retreat than come to 
an encounter. I have frequently been an eye« 
witness of their utter dismay at the sight of 
well -mounted guns on board the ships ; they 
have never shown any inclination to provoke 
the commanders to discharge one broadside, 
but always endeavoured to soothe the fierce 
temper of the barbarians. 

Many of the Chinese laws are very excellent, 
others extremely defective ; but they are in ge- 
neral too minute, and frequently prove vexa- 
tious and a source of endless oppression. They 
are reduced to a code, of which an English 
translation has appeared. No magistrate can 
execute them to their full extent, there being 
many which would involve the most circumspect 
man in crime. But as the will of the rulers, 
small and great, is the law of the country, this 
defect is easily remedied. Yet the laws of 



LAWS AND GOVERNMENT. 53 

China have called forth the admiration of many 
scholars in Europe : the theory indeed may be 
called excellent, but of what avail is this if the 
law is not executed to the letter ? The emperor 
has retained to himself the power of life and 
death, though he frequently in such cases acts 
by a deputy, who only in extraordinary instances 
requires the sanction of the court. Some of the 
Chinese punishments are very severe ; the poor 
are generally the sufferers, whilst the rich ex- 
piate their crimes by means of money. It is 
even allowable to undei^o punishment by 
proxy; and it is not at all extraordinary to 
see one man die in another's stead ! 



54 



CHAPTER III. 



CHARACTER — USAGES — INDUSTRY — LANGUAGE 

SCIENCES — RELIGION. 

We might be led to suppose, that a nation, said 
to have no hereditary nobility, and amongst 
whom merit only is supposed to be remunerated^ 
must be actuated by the most noble and liberal 
principles. But this is by no means the case in 
China. A nobility, however, does exist, though 
it confers scarcely any privileges. Besides the 
princes of the blood in the collateral lines, there 
are five ranks of nobility — Kung, How, Pih, 
Tsze, and Nan. The literati, who have passed 
the examination, constitute the second class of 
citizens, and the common people the third. 
Wherever merit is not allied to riches, it is very 
difficult to obtain promotion; but riches with- 
out merit can obtain rank. All, however, may 
strive for the highest honours, the meanest ple- 
beian having, theoretically, the prospect of be- 
ing prime minister, without being upbraided 
for his low descent. This regulation is produc- 
tive of a great deal of emulation, so that the 



CHARACTER. 55 

whole of life is frequently spent in the pursuit 
of the mere phantom — ^honour, and its emolu- 
ments. 

The Chinese features are, in themselves, not 
very handsome : a small eye, and flat nose, a 
yellow complexion, and a want of expression in 
the whole countenance, certainly bespeak very 
little beauty. Still, however, they are far more 
handsome than the Tatars. Their very ideas 
of beauty, indeed, dijBer widely from ours. 
With them, corpulence in a male, and small 
feet in a female, are the ne plus ultra of ideal 
perfection in the human form. It is truly as- 
tonishing, that in so extensive a country as 
China, of which many parts differ so widely in 
latitude and longitude, no greater variety in the 
human race should be found. Not only is there 
the greatest sameness in the colour of the eye and 
the shade of the hair, but the inhabitants of the 
various provinces differ very little in their whole 
outward appearance. Nor is this character- 
istic sameness confined to the body, it extends 
also to the mind.* 

* This phenomenon has been accounted for in a work re- 
cently published. ** Travellers," it is observed, ** appear not 
to have remarked the extraordinary family likeness discernible 
in the Fellahs, who seem to have been all cast in the same 
mould ; and this striking resemblance, which exists in charac* 
ter and manners no less than in features, probably prevailed, 
also, among the ancient Egyptians ; hence the monotony ob- 
servable in their sculptures and paintings. Despotism is the 



56 CHARACTER. 

The Chinese are in general an industrious 
people. Being defective in moral courage, they 
substitute cunning for strength, lying for blunt 
honesty. They are by no means sanguinary, 
but endure oppression and hardship, without 
groaning. When in the full possession of power, 
however, they often treat those who are placed 
under them with wanton cruelty. Politeness 
and affability, kindness and generosity, con- 
stitute the true character of a Chinese ; and 
hospitality is a virtue not unknown amongst 
them. In the relations of common^ life, they 
respect their superiors and honour their parents ; 
of their children, they are exceedingly fond, but 
like all other half civilized Asiatics, they treat 
their wives with contempt. Chinese women 
possess, however, a large share of common 
sense, and are capable of the highest cultiva- 
tion. They are generally, moreover, most de- 
primary cause of this phenomenon ; for the multitude, all re- 
duced to nearly the same level, urged by the same wants, 
engaged in the same pursuits, actuated- by the same passions, 
through a long succession of ages, necessarily assimilate. Po- 
verty depriving them of all pretension to free-agency, they are 
universally cringing, trembling, dissimulating. Fear is their 
habitual passion. Credulous, ignorant, superstitious, no man 
has the originality to be a heretic. In religion, morals, man- 
ners, and opinions, the son treads servilely in the footsteps of 
his father, without inquiry, without reflection ; nay, even with- 
out the consciousness that nature has endowed him with the 
power to do otherwise." — St, John's " Egypt and Mohammed 
Aliy" V. ii. p. 373, 374. 



USAGES. SI 

notedly attached to their husbands, and make 
excellent wives and tender mothers; though 
they are devoid of all those finer feelings, 
which, in Europe, constitute the greatest or- 
nament of women. Neither sex is Tery re- 
markable for sensibility; the sight of misery, 
which will 1)ring tears into our eyes, seldom 
moving thir stony hearts. But this blunt- 
ness of feeling is constitutional, their nerves 
being coarser tlian ours, their minds seldom 
imbued with principles which control their 
whole conduct. They are gross in their en^ 
joyments, and not very capable of relishing 
mental delight. All their wishes tend to* 
wards this earth, nor do their hopes extend 
beyond the grave. To possess riches suffi- 
cient to enable them to lead an easy life, to 
have male children, and to exercise some 
public employment, form the climax of their 
happiness. We deplore the utter want of 
truth amongst them ; but this is a defect 
inherent in the character of all Asiatics. 
Though naturally fawning and crouching be<r 
fore those in power, they are capable of 
nobler sentiments, wherever their mind is 
well directed. Cleaving to ancient, custom, 
with tenacious predilection, they are, at the 
same time, not entirely blind to the advan- 

* E 5 



68 USAGES. 

tages of amelioration. Upon the whole it 
must be confessed, that there is much in the 
Chinese character capable of the highest im- 
provement; they are, at all events, not in- 
ferior to any other Asiatic nation, and, if 
converted to the Christian faith, would pro* 
bably rank very hi^ in the scale of nations. 

Few nations make use of so many compli* 
ments as the Chinese. Bowing, kneeling, and 
prostrating themselves are the different grades 
of the respect they show towards each other. 
Confucius taught the strictest observance of 
rites and ceremonies, as the only means of re- 
fining the manners. His doctrine has become 
the law of the empire, and the whole nation is 
anxious to make up, by outward politeness, for 
the want of sincerity. Evei^ relation in life 
has its ceremony, the due ob^ce of which 
constitutes the perfection of man. 

The food of the lower classes has little variety, 
but they eat a great quantity, and refuse no- 
thing that is eatable. They are not addicted to 
drunkenness, but delight in smoking opium, a 
drug quite as demoralizing and destructive of 
health as ardent spirits. On their festivals they 
fieure sumptuously, and give themselves up to 
excess without scruple. 

Their marriages are indissoluble. The pa- 



USAGES. 59 

lents consult respecting the proposed connec- 
tion without regard to the mutual affection of 
the parties. An old woman concludes the match; 
the bride is brought in a sedan-chair to her 
husband, who has perhaps never seen her be- 
fore ; they drink wine out of each other's cups ; 
and are thenceforth man and wife. As the hus- 
band has paid a certain sum for his bride, he 
considers her as his property. The weaker sex 
seldom violates the vow of conjugal fidelity, but 
the men marry second wives, keep concubines, 
and even disgrace the early partners of their 
life. Infanticide, of which the husbands are the 
only perpetrators, is not uncommon ; but female 
children only are murdered, and these immedi- 
ately after their birth. This horrible crime meets 
with no punishment from the laws of the coun- 
try ; a father being the sovereign lord of his chil- 
dren, he may extinguish life, whenever he per- 
ceives, or pretends, that a prolongation of it would 
only aggravate the sufferings of his offspring. 

In the exercise of filial piety the Chinese ex- 
cel. This, in fact, is the great basis upon which 
their philosophers erected their whole system 
of politics, the foundation of a well regulated 
society. We are, however, no very enthusiastic 
admirers of Chinese filial piety. As long as a 
child is commanded to honour father imd mo- 
ther, to serve them till death calls them away, 
we think highly of the commandment; but, 



60 



USAGES. 



when children are required tb pay dirtne ho<« 
nours to the manes of their ancestors, we r^ard 
such a veneration as idolatrous, and repugnant 
to the law of God, the supreme author of our 
lives. Yet, such are the injunctions of the 
Chinese philosophers, which are, alas! too 
rigidly followed up. 

The Chinese having no hope beyond the 
grave, run into excess, in thus mourning for 
the death of near relations. Every part of the 
ceremonial is exactly regulated; even the pe- 
riod, manner, and degree of the mourner's grief 
being duly prescribed. The corpse, being 
dressed in warm clothes, is deposited in a sub- 
stantial cofl^, and kept for several days above 
ground, whilst the survivors express their mea- 
sured grief by gesture, dishevelled hair, sack- 
cloth and mournful silence. When a lucky spot 
has been selected for the grave, the corpse is 
consigned to the bosom of our universal mother, 
earth. Building a tomb in the form of a horse- 
shoe, they inscribe thereon the name of the 
deceased, erect a tablet to his memory in the 
hail of his ancestors, and repair annually to the 
graves, in order to prostrate themselves before 
the manes, and to ofifer victuals to those hungry 
spirits. In the temples, divine honours are paid 
to their memory. To supply their full wants, 
in the other world, they bum gilt paper, paper 
chariots and houses, with every necessary article 



INDUSTRY. 61 

of fnmitiirey vhkh are supposed to be changed 
in the other world into real utensils ; whilst the 
gilt paper, when burnt to ashes, becomes so 
much ready money. The greater the person- 
age, the more protracted is the mourning ; the 
emp^por mourns three years for his parent, 
and evary good subject follows his august ex- 
ample. Mandarins resign their office during 
this period of affliction, literati avoid entering 
the examinations, the common people abstain 
for some time from their labour. — ^Would not 
the belief in the Saviour of mankind, as he 
who shall raise the dead, abolish these useless 
lamentations ? 

In domestic life the Chinese know few com-> 
forte. Their houses are built with too little 
regard to convenience; cleanliness in their 
persons and habitations is quite out of the 
question. Their ideas of the elegancies of 
refined life are extremely circumscribed. The 
richer classes have substantial brick-houses, 
though generally not very large, and seldom 
beyond two stories high; the poorer people 
exist in a most wretehed condition, their houses 
being mere hovels built of loose stones, 
bricks, or mud. But with all these wante, 
real or imaginary, the Chinese are a con- 
tented people, not destitute of real cheer- 
Then only, when their craving ap- 

♦b7 



J i\ • -^ - - 



62 INDUSTRY. 

petite cannot be satisfied, and the hideous 
spectre of starvation invades their cottages, 
they fall into sullen despair; but so long as 
they have any thing to eat, be it even grass 
or leaves, they retain their good spirits. The 
author has often seen them seated around a 
dish of thin potatoe soup and a basin of boiled 
grass, with as great satisfaction as if they par* 
took of the dainties of the royal table. The 
principal food of all classes is rice. In the 
northern provinces, the common people daily 
eat millet or wheat; and when they cannot 
afford the money to buy a sufficient quantity of 
food, they add so much water as to make up the 
deficiency in weight of their daily sustenance. 

The industry of the Chinese is remarkable. 
They bestow the utmost diligence in the culti- 
vation of their lands, though their implements 
of husbandry partake of primitive simplicity, 
and the whole work is done without the aid of 
modem improvement. They, however, turn 
every spot of ground to some advantage. As 
the husbandman provides the food for all classes 
of citizens, he holds a high rank in the estima- 
tion of government ; the mechanic is less esteem- 
ed. In silk manufactures, lackered ware, and 
embroidery, the Chinese greatly excel. They 
were formerly also very famous for their manu- 
facture of porcelain, but disdaining to improve, 
they have been surpassed by Europeans. En- 



LANGUAGE. 63 

tire strangers to machinery, they cannot cope 
with our modem manufactures ; they are ready 
to imitate, but slow to invent. The trade car- 
ried on in a country so thickly inhabited is enor- 
mous, and no nation in Asia can boast an equal 
porportion of merchant craft. The canals afford 
all facilities for inland communication. The 
trade by sea, carried on by many thousand 
junks, is principally in the hands of Fuh- 
keen merchants, whose enterprising spirit is 
truly admirable. A mercantile spirit pervades 
the whole nation ; instead of shunning commer- 
cial intercourse with foreigners, as we have been 
hitherto led to believe, they are most anxious to 
engage in it, though restrained to a certain ex- 
tent by their rulers. Immense advantage would 
accrue both to the Chinese and British nation, 
were all por^ open to English ships. But 
though government be anxious, perhaps, to cut 
off as far as possible all intercourse with foreign- 
ers, it would not possess the power to refuse 
such a demand, if seriously proposed. 

Nothing has so much puzzled the learned 
world, in Europe, as the Chinese language. 
To express so many ideas as arise in the mind 
of man by 1445 intonated monosyllables — to 
substitute a distinct character for a simple al- 
phabet, seems undoubtedly a gigantic effort of 
human genius. But the Chinese have effected, 
what we might have deemed impossible. They 



64 LANGUAGE. 

have 487 distinct monosyllables, which they in- 
crease to the above stated number of sounds by 
five different intonations. This, however, is 
only applicable to the mandarin dialect ; every 
province, every district has its peculiar patois, 
in which the number of sounds and intonations 
varies. Wherever mistake might arise from the 
similarity of sounds, they combine two mono- 
syllables, which thus express one idea. Yet, 
notwithstanding all these helps, great ambi- 
guity remains, and even the natives must often 
have recourse to writing, in order to make them- 
selves understood, as it requires a well accus- 
tomed ear to catch all the ideas, when fluently 
expressed. Hence the difficulty, which foreign- 
ers experience, in acquiring this curious lan- 
guage, and in conversing intelligibly. The 
characters, which amount to about 14,000, are 
composed of 216 radicals, which express the 
most simple ideas. There is a copiousness in 
this mode of writing, which no alphabetical lan- 
guage can imitate; but at the same time it 
is tiresome to wade through the mazes of so 
many characters, which represent no sound, of 
which the signification is often multifarious and 
changed by position. If all tlie characters were 
always written alike, there would be less diffi- 
culty in acquiring a due knowledge of them ; but 
the form frequently changes, and the running 
hand deviates entirely from the correct form of 



LANGUAGE. 65 

the character. Some have traced these charac- 
ters from the Egyptian hieroglyphics ; but it is 
pretty evident, that the Chinese have created a 
peculiar mode of writing for themselves, with- 
out adopting any foreign system. 

Strictly speaking, the Chinese language has 
no grammar, the mutual relation of words is 
pointed out by their respective positions. Gen- 
der, number, case, tenses, moods, &c., are ex- 
pressed by particles, which either precede or 
follow the verb. But this arrangement differs 
so widely from ours, that a literal translation 
from English into Chinese is perfectly unintel- 
ligible. The Chinese language has more pecu- 
liarities than perhaps any other known. Its 
sjmtax is very artificially arranged, a good style 
measures the sentence to produce a rythmus, 
which is exceedingly pleasing to the Chinese ear. 
Terse phrases, continual antitheses, not unlike 
the productions of some French writers, are 
considered the highest beauties. The Chinese 
prize a pointed expression more highly than a 
well conceived thought. 

The above remarks will show plainly, that 
the nature of the language renders obscurity 
unavoidable. None of the Chinese standard 
works can be understood without a commen- 
tary ; which is certainly a material defect. The 
Qpnversational style differs widely from the writ- 

VOL. 1. F 



66 LANGUAGE. 

ten one, the former dispensing a great deal with 
all the auxiliary particles. Many expressions, 
however, which appear to a foreigner yery ob* 
acure^ Bte plain to a Chinese, who is led from 
his childhood to think in this peculiar way. It 
ought also to be remembered, that the Chinese 
thoughts are stereotyped; that scarcely any 
modern author hazards a single idea, which is 
not contained in the classics, or in some work 
of the ancients, so that, by a simple reference 
to these, be can be easily understood, even if he 
expresses himself indistinctly. By these sweep- 
ing remarks, we wish by no means to intimate, 
that the Chinese language is a meagre skeleton ; 
on the contrary, we fully admit, that it is one of 
the most copious languages in the world. 

To teach the language is the sole object of 
the many myriads of schools in China. A pupil 
studies nothing but the language ; if be can read 
fluently, and write elegantly, and make poetry, 
he is an accomplished scholar. When a boy en- 
ters the school, he learns at first the sounds of 
the characters by heart, without knowing their 
meaning, for the language spoken by the people 
differs from the language of books ; he then 
traces them upon paper, and after baring con- 
tinued this course for a few years, the mean- 
ing is explained to him in the common dialect. 
The classics, which are read and learned by 
heart from beginning to end, treat of filial piety 



SCIENCES. 67 

and political economy, so that China must al- 
ways abound in dutifal children and excellent 
go^enion. 

Chinese literature is very rich. There are 
few subjects in the wide range of the sciences, 
upon which we do not meet with a Chinese 
work. Many of the books are truly excellent, 
and will be noticed in due time ; as £sir as their 
own history, philosophy, polity, and poetry, are 
concerned, tbey may furnish us with very Talu* 
able hints ; bot their works upon natural his- 
tory^ geography, chemistry, &c., are very de- 
fectiye, and often childish. We may easily 
conceive in what state the sciences must be, 
wiien there exist no good scientific wwks to 
teach them. Their so much boasted knowledge 
of astronomy is confined to very few persons, 
and even these understand it very imperfectly. 
Medicine is very g^ierally studied, and the 
number of doctors is as large in China as in any 
other country in the world. Their physicians, 
though very expert in prognosticating diseases 
by feeling the pulse, know nothing of anatomy. 
Moreover, they treat all diseases upon the sup- 
position that the body is composed of the five 
elements, water, fire, metal, wood, and earth, 
which, by losing their due equilibrium, are the 
causes of all complaints. This theory gives rise 
to a great many serious practical errors. When we 

f2 



68 RELIGION. 

see in Europe the press teeming with new pub- 
lications, we ought rather to be astonished, that 
amongst 367 millions of men, there is not one 
original writer, nor has there been any for many 
centuries. The essays of successful literary 
candidates are almost the only new publications, 
which see the light, and these contain nothing 
but what many millions before them have writ- 
ten under similar circumstances. — We mourn 
over the mental lethargy of China, and wish 
earnestly, that some benevolent and persevering 
foreigners would take the lead in enlightening 
this vast nation. 

The Chinese are remarkable for their indif- 
ference in regard to all religions. The Confu- 
cian school does not deny the existence of a 
Supreme Being, but neither defines this funda- 
mental article of every rational creed, nor incul- 
cates the necessity of worshipping the only God. 
In all other classics, we do not even find a hint 
on the creation of the world ; every thing is 
produced by the reciprocal operation of the 
male and female principles — Yang Yin ; heaven 
operates, earth produces. In vain do we look for 
the consoling doctrine of the immortality of the 
soul ; Confucius's speculations do not extend be- 
yond the grave. He inculcates polytheism, by 
enjoining the worship of heaven and earth, the 
spirits of hills, rivers, winds and fire ; in fact, 
all nature, excepting nature's omnipotent God. 



RELIGION. 69 

doctrines, called in Chinese Joo-keasu, the 
religion of scholars, is the orthodox creed of the 
state. To the founder, divine honour is paid 
by all his followers, who are not very scrupulous 
in worshipping one idol more or less, and have 
long maintained the most absurd pantheism. 

The sect of Taou, which has for its founder 
a contemporary of Confucius, Laou-tsze, or 
Laou-keun, is more mystical in its tenets than 
any of the three. Theirs, however, is not a 
popular belief. They are gross idolaters. To 
enumerate all their idols, would be a very dif- 
ficult task; we only mention San-tsing, the 
three pure ones ; Shang-te, or Yuh Hwang, the 
supreme august one; Pih-te, the northern em* 
peror, &c. Laou-keun's work, the Taou-tih- 
king, is still extant. We meet in it the ves- 
tiges of adulterated truth, the Trinity, Logos, 
immortality, &c. The Taou priests think them- 
selves possessed of the liquor of immortality, 
and pretend to understand alchymy ; but they 
die like all other mortals, and are, notwithstand- 
ing their art, generally very poor. 

The two foregoing superstitions are indige- 
nous ; but China has added to its numberless 
absurdities. Buddhism. This foreign creed has 
gained more followers than either of the pre- 
ceding. Myriads of idols, which only the hot- 
brained fancy of Hindoos could create, have 
been imported into China. With them, Buddha, 



70 EELIOION. 

Kwan-yin, the goddess of mercy, and 
how, the queen of heaven, hold the highest 
rank. The Buddhists are not yery particular 
respecting the objects of their worship ; to them 
every other religi<Mi is the same, except that 
they consider their own the best, because it 
teaches the best method to pass through the 
numerous changes of the metempsychosis, till 
the devout worshipper arrives at the consum- 
mation of bliss — annihilation. Buddhist priests 
are very much despised, though they manage to 
maintain themsdves by the credulity of the 
people, by reading masses, saying prayers, 
begging, &c.* 

Moreover, there are many thousand Moha^ 
medans in China, who are neither zealous in 
the propagation of their doctrines, nor over 
strict in the observance of their religion. The 
Roman Catholic Christians were once very nu« 
merous ; and even at present, we are told, that 
they amount to 600,000. We find, besides many 
brotherhoods and secret associations, amongst 
which the Teen-te-hwuy, or Triad society, is 
the most* formidable. This fraternity, which is 
now widely spread, aims at nothing less than 
the subversion of the present Tatar dynasty. 

* On the subject of the religions of China the reader may 
consult an article on Oriental Missions, in the ** Foreign Quar- 
terly Reyiew," No. X. pp. 485 — 516; and Abel RemuNit'* 
" Melanges Asiatiques.** 



71 



CHAPTER IV. 



CHRONOLOGY. 



The Creator said, " Let there be lights in the 
firmament of heaven, to divide the day firom the 
night, and let them be for signs, and for sea- 
sons, and for days and years." After the de* 
luge, the Almighty said: ''While the earth 
remaineth, seed time and harvest, and cold and 
heat, and summer and winter, and day and 
night, shall not cease." These simple words 
contain the basis of all chronology. Upon 
examination, we find that scripture history is 
the touchstone of the historical annals of all 
nations. Every people has its fabulous ages : 
the Bible keeps up the thread of real history, 
but it is left to the rational faculties of man to 
trace the course of time, and reconcile seeming 
difficulties. 

All writers on the affairs of China agree that 
the Chinese are a very ancient nation. But that 
their empire existed before the flood, and even 



72 CHRONOLOGY. 

before the era which we assign for the creation 
of the world, is as extravagant and unfounded 
as the mythological stories of the Hindoos and 
Greeks. We believe that the Chinese had as 
early a notion of astronomy as the Chaldeans 
and Egyptians; we give also much credit to 
their calculations of eclipses^ but we greatly 
doubt whether their chronology is as accurate as 
we might be led to believe by the advocates of 
the antediluvian existence of their empire. Not 
only is the fabulous part of the Chinese history 
very uncertain, but even the two first dynasties, 
Hea and Shang, labour under great difficulties, 
which never have been entirely removed. We 
must, in fact, date the authentic history of 
China from Confucius, 550 B.C., and consider 
the duration of the preceding period as uncer- 
tain. At the same time, though desirous of 
avoiding that confusion in our history, which 
would result from the introduction of mere con- 
jectures respecting the reigns of the Hea and 
Shang emperors, we have adopted the dates 
which Chinese historians have assigned, and 
which some of their translators consider as in- 
controvertible. Chinese ancient astronomy has 
been justly celebrated by many ; but if we sup- 
pose their calculations to have been correct, the 
ancient Chinese, who lived, according to them, 
4000 years ago, greatly surpassed their posterity 



CHRONOLOGT. 73 

of the present day, who, after so much instruction 
from foreigners, still betray a childish ignorance 
on many essential points of this difficult science. 
Confucius evidently labours to refer the origin 
of his doctrines (which either originated with 
himself, or were transmitted to him by tradi- 
tion) to the remotest antiquity, for the purpose 
of inspiring his countrymen with veneration for 
them. In order to effect this, he had to create 
for his nation an authentic history out of the 
materials furnished by tradition. As there were 
no regular annals, or any celebrated historio- 
grapher who flourished before his era, he was 
not able, notwithstanding the most laborious 
researches, to avoid error. The destruction of 
the greater part of Chinese books by Che- 
hwang-te, the first universal monarch of China, 
doubtless contributed likewise to render the 
chronology more erroneous. 

The Chinese cycle (called Hwa*ke&-tsze) 
consists of sixty years. The year commences 
firom the conjunction of the sun and moon, 
or from the nearest new moon, to the fifteenth 
degree of Aquarius. It has twelve lunar months, 
some of twenty-nine, some of thirty days. To 
adjust the lunations with the course of the sun, 
they insert, when necessary, an intercalary 
month. Day and night are divided into twelve 
periods, each of two hours. The horary cha- 



74 CHRONOLOGY. 

racters which they use serve also for giving 
names to the years of the cycle, and for the 
twenty-four points of the compass. They also 
divide the months into three decades, called 
Seun: the days are also named after the 
twenty-eight constellations, four of which mark 
the weekly sahbath. We find in the Chinese 
calendar the lunar months, the time of the 
sun's rising and setting, the length of day and 
night, according to the respective latitudes of 
places, with much astrological nonsense.* 

* See Du Halde. London 4to. edit. ▼. 2. p. 128. Hemoim 
sur les Chmob, torn. 11. 



75 



PERIODS. 



Chinese historians divide the whole period of 
their history according to the dynasties which 
successively sat upon the throne. As we, how- 
ever, wish to blend this history with the annals 
of the western world, we have followed a more 
convenient order. 

I. MVTHOLOOICAL ErA. 

From Pwan-koo to the death of Te-shun. 

Duration uncertain. 

II. Ancient History. 

From the commencement of the Hea dynasty 
to the conclusion of the Han dynasty. 

B.C. 2207 to A. D. 263. 

III. Middle Ages op History. 

From the Tsin dynasty to the Yuen dynasty. 

A.D. 264to 1367. 

IV. Modern History. 

From the Ming djrnasty to the present time. 

A.D. 1368 to 1833. 



NAMES OF THE 

CHINESE KINGS AND EMPERORS, 

DURING THE FOUR PERIODS OF THEIR HISTORY. 



MYTHOLOGICAL ERA. 

From Pwan-hoo to the death of Te-shun. — Duration uncertain. 



I. THE THREE EMPERORS. 

'' f^ ^ ^ 



2. 



3. 



4. 



5. 



6. 









1. Pwan^-koo-she. 

2. Teen-hwang-she. 

3. Te-hwang-she. 

4. Jin-hwang-she. 

5. Yew-chaou-she. 

6. Suy-jin-she. 

/ The reader will please to remember that the Chinese 
characters commence on the right hand. 



• « 



MYTHOLOGICAL ERA. 77 

II. THE FIVE EMPERORS. 



1. 



2. 



3. 



4. 



5. 



6. 



7. 



8. 



itf^ 





^ j)^ ^ 



1. Fiih-he-she. 

2. Shin-nung-she. 

3. Hwang-te. 

4. Te-shaou-haou. 

5. Te-chuen-heiih. 

6. Te-kuh. 

7. Te-yaou. 

8. Te-shun. 




78 



ANCIENT HISTORY. 

From the HOa to the Hem Dynasty. 
B. C. 2207 to A. D. 263. 



III. THE HEA DYNASTY. 
From 2207 to 1767 B.C. 



1. 



2. 



3. 



4. 



5. 



6. 



it 










Reigni 






COIDlDCnCQu. 


]. 


Ta-yu . 


2205 B.C. 


2. 


Te-ke . 


2197 


3. 


Tae-kang 


2188 


4. 


Chung-kang 


2159 


5. 


Te-seang 


2146 


6. 


Shaou-kang . 


2097 



ANCIENT HISTORT. 79 



7. 



8. 



9. 



10. 



II. 



12. 



13. 



14. 



15. 



f ^^ 



7. Te-choo 


Reignt 
oonmenotd. 

2057 B.C. 


8. Te-hwae 


2040 


9. Te-mang 

10. Te-8«e . . • . 


2014 
1996 


11. Te-puh-keang 

12. Te-keung 

13. Te-kin . 


1980 
1921 
1900 


14. Te-kung-ke^ 

15. Te-kaou 


1879 
1848 



80 ANCIENT HISTORY, 

16. 



^f 




17. 



Reigns 
commenced* 

16. Te-ft .... 1837 b.c. 

17. Ke^-kwei 1818 to 1767 



THE SHANG DYNASTY. 
From 1766 B.C. to 1123, 



•fc 




1. 



2. 



3. 



4. 






1. Ching-tang . 

2. Tae-kea 


Reigni 
commenMcl. 

1766 B.c 
1753 


3. Wuh-ting 

4. Tae-kang 


1720 
1691 



5. 



ANCIENT HISTORT, 



f 4 



81 



6. 



11. 



12. 



Ci 




10. ^ ^ ^ 







Rdgw 



S« Seaou-ke^ 


1666 B.C. 


6. Yung-ke 


1649 


7. Tae-woo. 


1637 

1 


8. Chung-ting 


1662 


9. Wae-jin. 


1649 


10. Ho-tan-keJl 


1634 


11. Tsoo-yih 


1626 


12. Tsoo-sin 


1606 


VOL. I. o 





d2 



13. 



14. 



15. 



16. 



17. 



18. 



19. 



20. 



ANCIENT HISTORY. 



f J^ 

f ^ 

T ^ 



13. 


1 

Wtth-ke^ . 


Raigitt 
conmenoad. 

1490 B.C. 


14. 
15. 
16. 
17. 
18. 


TsQo-ting 

Nan-k^ng 

Yang-ke^ 

Pwan'ktog 

Seaou-sin 


1465 
1433 
1406 
1401 
1373 


19. 
20. 


Seaou-yih 
Woo-ting 


1352 
1324 



.s 



•21. 



22. 



23. 



24. 



25. 



26. 



27. 



28. 



ANCIENT HISTORY 






^ M 



T 






63 




21. Tsoo-k^ng 

22. T\sbo-ke^ 

23. lin-ain 

24. KXtag-ting 
26. Woo-yih 

26. Tafe-ting 

27. Tc-yih 

28. Chow-sin 



Raigiit 
copmiflDOcd. 

1265 B. c. 
1^58 
1225 
1219 
1188 
1194 
1191 
1154(0 1123 



G 2 



84 



ANCIENT HISTORY, 



1. 

I 

2. 

3. 
4. 
5. 
6. 

7. 



1. 



2. 



3. 



4. 



5. 



6. 



7. 



IV. THE CHOW DYNASTY. 
From 1122 to 255 B.C. 



ifo>f^ 



^ 







Woo-wang 

Ching-wang 

KUlng-wang 

Chaou-wang 

Muh-wang 

Kung-wang 

E-wang 









iS^ 





Reigns 
commoiioed* ' 

1122 B.C. 

1115 

1078 

1052 

1001 

946 

934 



▲NCISNT HISTORY. 



'85 



8. 



9. 



10. 



11. 



12. 



13. 



14. 



16. 



16. 







8. 

9. 
10. 
11. 
12. 
13. 
14. 
15. 
16. 



Heaou-wang 

E-wang 

Le-wang 

Seuen-wang . 

Yew-wang 

Ping-wang 

Hwan-wang 

Chwang-wang 

Le-wang 



^ 

Pl 







^ 
^ 





^ 





Reigns 

COnHMDCM* 

909 B.C. 

894 

878 

827 

781 

770 

719 

696 

681 



S€ 



ANCIENT HI8TOBV 



17. 

• 

18. 
19. 
20. 
21. 
22. 
23. 
24. 
25. 



17. 



18. 



19. 



20. 



21. 



22. 



23. 



24. 



25. 




Hwuy-wang 

Seang-wang 

King-wang 

KwiEtng-wang 

Ting-wang 

Keen-wang 

I^ng-wang 

King-wang 

King-wang 







^ 





r*- 



i K 












Reigns 
MDMDencidl 

676 B. c. 
651 

618 
612 

006 
585 
571 
544 
519 



ANCIENT HISTORY. 



87. 



26. 
27. 
28. 
29. 
30. 
31. 
32. 
33. 
34. 



26. 



27. 



28. 



29. 



30. 



31. 



32. 



33. 



34 






















Yuen-wang 

Ching-ting-wang 
Kaou-wang . 
Wei-leC-wang 
Gan-wang 




le^-waDg 
Heen-wang . 
Chin-tsing-wang 
Nan-wang 



Reignt 
conuDeooai. 

475 B.C. 

468 

440 

425 

401 

375 

368 

320 

314 



88 ANCIENT HISTORV. 



Reign 
oomnienoed. 



35. Tung-chow-keun 255 B.C. 



V. THE TSIN DYNASTY. 

From 249 to 205 B. C. 



iv 




1. 




JL^ 



Reigm 
miiiODOo 

1. Chwang-seang-wang 249 a. c. 

HOW, OR AFTER TSIN. 

1. Che-hwang-te 246 

2. Urh-she . 209 



ANCIENT HISTORY. 89 

VI. THE HAN DYNASTY. 
From B.C. 207 to A.D. 263. 



jS6 





«. ^ itj ^ ^ <^ -^ 



COIDIMIICM. 

1. Kaou-tsoo .... 202 B.C. 

2. Hwuy-te .... 194 

3. Leu-how 188 

4. W^n-te, Yuen-neen, How-yuen 179 

5. King-te, Yuen-neen, Chung-yuen 156 

6. Woo-te, Keen-yuen, Yuen-kwang 140 

*^* The characters given after the emperors' names are the 
Kwo-haou, ** national designations" of the emperors during 
their reigns. 



90 



7. 



8. 



9. 



10. 



11 



12. 



13. 



ANCIENT HISYOBT. 






-*s^ 






«/L 



^^ Mr^ 




^a ^m^ 



14. 



Rmgns 
ooiDntiiood* 

7. Chaou-te, Che-yuen, Yuen-fiing 86 B.C. 

8. Seuen-te, Pun-che, Te-tseih 73 
8. Yuen-te, Tsoo-yuen, Yung-kwang 48 

10. Ching-te, Keen-che ... 32 

11. 6ae-te — KSen-ping, Yuen-show 6 

12. Ping-te, Yuen-che 1 a.d. 

13. Joo-tsze-ying— ^Keu-sh^ 6 

14. Hwae-yang-wang — Kang-che 23 



ANCI£NT HISTORY. dj 



5. 



EASTERN HAN. 

» 

2. ^^ ^ |l| 




^ 







6. 


>^>b ^ifL ^^ 




RdgM 




00IDID6]lCed« 


1. 


Kwang-woo, Keen-woo, Chung.yucn 26 a.d. 


2. 


Ming-te, Yung-ping ... 68 


3. 


Chnng-te, KSen-tsoo, Yuen-ho . 76 


4. 


Ho-te, Ynng-yuen, Yuen-hing . 89 


5. 


Shang-te, Keen-ping ... 106 


6. 


Gan-te, Yung-tsoo, Yuen-tsoo . 107 



d2 ANCIENT HISTORY. 



7. 



8. 



9. 






f% 



^ ^ 



10. 



^^ ^;t ^ ^ 



11. 



12. 






Reignt 
oonunenoed. 

7. Shun-t6, Yung-keen, Yang-kea, 

Yung-che .... 126 a. d. 

8. Chung- te, Yung-kea . 145 

9. Chih-te, Pun-tsoo 146 

10. Hwan-te, Keen-ho, Ho-ping . 147 

11. Ling-te, Keen-ning, He-ping 168 

12. Heen-te, Tsoo-ping, Hing-ping, 

Keen-gan 190 to 220 



93 

MIDDLE AGES. 

From the Tsm to the Yuen dynasty. 
A. D. 264 to 1367. 



THB HOW, OR AFTER HAN DYNASTY. 



1 . Chaou-le«, Chang-woo 

2. How-te, Keen-hing, Yen-he 


RdgM 
oommenced. 

221 A.D. 

223 to 263 


VII. THE TSIN DYNASTY. 
From 264 to 420 A. D. 





1. 






Beifns 
oodumdomI* 



1. Woo-te, Tae-che, Han-ning 264 a. d. 



94 MIDDLE AGES. 



2. 



3. 



4. 



0^ ^^ 



Reigns 
commenced. 



2. Hwuy-te, Yung-he, Yuen-kang 290 a.d, 

3. Hwae-te, Yung-kea . 307 ' 

4. Min-te, Keen-hing . 313 



madstmsa^Attaasi^ssmia^ssate 



EASTERN TSIN. 



^t^^^^ 



1. 



"& ^ 



f 




s. *;J^ «^ ^ 9^ 



ReigDa 
commenoed) 



1. Yuen-te, Yung-chang . 317 a.d. 

2. Ming-te, Keen- woo, Ta-hing 323 



MIDDLIt AQtS. 96 






7. 



**-*» -^ #" 



9. M^ -^M- 





« 


Reigns 


3. 


Ching-te, Han-ho, Han-kang . 


326 A. D. 


4. 


Kang-te, Keen-ynen 


343 


5. 


Muh-te, Yung-ho, Shing-ping 


345 


6. 


Qae-te, Lung-ho, Hing-ning 


362 


7. 


Te-yih- Tae-ho 


306 


8. 


Keen-w&n, Han-gaa 


371 


9. 


Heaou-woo, Ning-kang 


373 



96 



10. 



MIDDLE AGES. 






Reigni 

OODUUeDOOd . 



10. 6an-te, Lung-gan, Yuen-hing 397 a.d. 

11. Kung-te» Yaen-he 419 



VIII. THE NORTHERN SUNG DYNASTY, 

From 420 to 479 A. D. 

^6 ^ ^ 



3. 





Bagu 






1. Kaou-tsoo, Yung-tsoo . 


420 A. D. 


2. Shaou-te, King-ping 


423 


3. Wto-te, Yuen-kea 


424 



MIDDLE AGES. 97 



4. ^^ i^-0^ 



7. S:^^ ^ M ^ 

8. «-S ^ ^1^ 



1. 



Reigns 
commenced 



4. Woo-te — Yung-tsoo 454 a. d. 

5. Fei-te — King-ho 465 

6. Ming-te — Tae-che, Tae-seang 465 

7. Tsang-woo-wang — Yuen-hwuy 473 

8. Shun-te — King-ming 477 



IX. THE TSE DYNASTY. 
From 479 to 502 A. D. 



Reigns 
commenced. 

1. Kaou-te — Keen-yuen , 479 a. d. 

VOL. I. H 



98 MIDDLE AOS8. 

2. ^ ;*- ^ ^ 



3. J^^ *^ ^ 

4. ^^ ^^$^ 

5. ^t 'f*:#» 



COIHIHCnOBQ* 

2. Woo-te — ^Yung-ming 483 a.d. 

3. Ming-te— Keen-woo, Yung-tae 494 

4. Tung-hwan-how— Yung-yuen 499 

5. Ho-te— Chung-hing 501 



X. THE LEANG DYNASTY. 
From 502 to 556 A. D. 



Reigoa 
coniiD6iio6d* 



1. Woo-te— Teen-keen, Poo-tung, 

Ta-tung, Chung-ta-tung . 502 a.d. 



MIDDL£ AGES. 99 



4. ^i^ M>^ *^ ^C^ 



1. 



XI. THE CHIN DYNASTY. 
From 557 to 558 A. D. 



Reigna 

G0IDIIMIIC6d« 



2. Keen-w^n — Ta-paou 650 a.d. 

3. Yuen-te — Ching-shing . 552 

4. King-te — Chaou-tae, Tae-ping 555 



RdgM 



1. Kaou-tsoo — Yung-ting . . 557 a.d. 

h2 



100 MIDDLE AGES. 



2. M^^^ 'fX. 

3. )^^ ^ :^ 




*■ -^y^ <iB* & 





5. ^^A^ ^^iji 



Reigns 
commeDoed. 



2. Wiln-te — ^Teen-kea, Teen-kang 560 a.d. 

3. Fei-te — Kwang-ta . 567 

4. Seuen-te — ^Ta-keen . . 569 

5. How-choo — Che-tth, Ching-ming 583 



1. 



XII. THE SUY DYNASTY. 

Fram5S9 fo 618 A.D. 



Reigns 
commenced. 



1. Kaou-tsoo — Kae-hwaug : Jin-show 589 a.d. 



MIDDLE AGES. 101 







4. 



Reigns 
commenced, 

2. Yang-te— Ta-nee . . 605 a.d. 

3. Kung-te-yew— E-ning . . 618 

4. Kung-te-tung — Hwang-tae 618 



XIII. THE TANG DYNASTY 

FromSlS to 907 A.B. 

1. 41^ ^^ 



2. 



*iil ^ 



mj^ 



Reigns 
commenced. 

1. Kaou-tsoo — Woo-tih . 618 a.d. 

2. Tae-tsung — Ching-kwan 627 



102 MIDDLE AGES. 

■ 

Reigiit 
wimmencad 

3. Kaou-tsung — Yung-hwuy, Heen- 

king, LuDg-s6, Lin-tYh 650 a.d. 

4. Chung-tsung — Shin-lung, King- 

lung 684 

5. Juy tsung — King-yun, Tae-keih 711 

6. Heuen-tsung — Kae-yuen, Teen- 

paou . . 713 

7. Suh-tsung — Che-tYh, Kan-yuen, 

Shang-yuen, Paou-ying 756 

8. Tae-tsung — Kwang-tlfh, Miih-tae, 

LI Tae.\eYh .... 763 

9. Tih-tsung — Keen-chung, &c. 780 




12. 



16. 



MIDDLE AGES. 103 







fr> 




" -«* ^R 



U. ^W^'ii. 



if: 




16. *-*- ^ ^ 



^^ ^ 




17. ai.^ ^ $S» 

Reigns 
coiniimoed* 

10. Shun-tsung — Yung-ching 805 a. d. 

11. Heen-tsung — Yuen-ho 806 

12. Miih-tsung — Chang-king 821 

13. King-tsung — Paou-leih 825 

14. W&n-tsung— Tae-ho, Kae-ching 827 

15. Woo-tsung — Hwuy-chang 841 

16. Seuen-tsung — ^Ta-chung 847 

17. E-tsung — Han-tung 860 



104 MIDDLK AGES. 



iBMbSLjSJU^m^^i^ ^ ^ 



19 



4Lju$^sb,m*«K9^ ^ m 




20. 



^^ T ^ ^ 



Reigns 
commenewl. 



18. He-tsung — Keen-foo, Kwang-ming, 

Chung-ho, Kwang-ke, Wftn-tih 874 a. d 

19. Chaou-tsung — Lung-ke, Ta-shun, 

King-fuh, Keen-ning, Kwang- 

hwa, &c 889 

20. Chaou-seuen-te — Teen-yew 904 



1. 



XIV. THE HOW, OR AFTER LEANG DYNASTY. 

From 907 to 923 A. D. 



Reigns 
commenced. 



1. Tae-tsoo — Kae-ping, Keen-hwa 907 a. d. 



MIDDL£ AGES. 105 



jSk1L*i^4LilL 3|^^^ 



Reign 
commenced. 



2. Leang-choo-teen — Kan-hwa, 

Ching-ming, Lung-tYh 913 a. d. 



XV. THE HOW, OR AFTER TANG DYNASTY. 

From 924 to 936 A. D. 

1. itilfil ^ ^ 




2. MA^J^ ^ ^ 

4. *^ ^ ^ 



Reigns 



commenced. 

1. Chwang-tsimg — Tung-kwang . 924 a.d. 

2. Ming-tsung — Teen-ching, Chwang- 

hing 927 

3. Min-te — Ying-shun 934 

4. Fei-te— Tsing-tae 934 



106 MIDDLE AGES. 

XVI. THE HOW-TSIN DYNASTY. 
Prom 936 to 946 A. D. 




1. 



^^ ^^% 



2. St^ w* iJi 



RetgBi 

COIHIPftllCCd* 



1. Kaou-tsoo — ^Teen-fuh . 936 a.d. 

2. Chuh-te — Kae-yun 944 



XVII. THE HOW-HAN DYNASTY, 
From 947 to 950 A. D. 



iSL'Mm 




1. ^ ^ ^^ r^ 



2. 



^*:» ^ 




Rdgni 



1. Kaou-tsoo — Keen-yew 947 a.d. 

2. Yin-te — Keen-yew 948 



1. 



I. 



MIDDLE AGES. 107 

XVIII. THE CHOW-DYNASTY. 
From 951 to 960 A. D. 



^n^ 



"RJ? 




.. *« i^ -tit 

Reigns 
oommeno^* 

1. Tae-tsoo— Kwang-shun 951 a. d. 

2. She-tsung — Heen-tih 954 

3. Kung.te— Heen-tth 960 



XIX. THE SUNG DYNASTY. 
From 960 to 1279 A.D. 



Rttgnt 

QomiiifloccvM 



] . Tae-tsoo — Keen-lung, Kan-tih, 

Kae*paou 960 a. d. 



108 MIDDLE AO£$. 

2. ^s^m^mM-'f^ ^ M^ 



3. 



4. 



5. 



7. 



4t^ tX**^;^ ^ ^ 






a. Aib^t^ ^ ^ 



^^%»^^ ^^ 



Raigns 
commenoed. 

2. Tae-tsung — Tae-ping, Hing-kw&> 

Yung-he, Twan-kung 976 a. d. 

3. Chin-tsung — Han-ping, King-tYh, 

Ta-chung, Tseang-foo . 998 

4. Jin-tsung — Teen-shing, Ming-taou, 

King-yew, Paou-yuen 1023 

5. Ying-tsung — Che-ping . 1064 

6. Shin-tsung — He-ning, Yuen-fung 1068 

7. Ch6-tsung — Yuen-yew, Shaou- 

shing, Yuen-foo . 1086 



MIDDLE AG£S. 109 

Reigns, 
commenced . 

8. Hwuy-tsung— Tsung-ning, &c. 1 101 a. d. 

9. Kin-tsung— Tsing-kang 1120 



SOUTHERN SUNG. 

lUigns 
commenced. 

1. Kaou-tsung — Keen-yen, Shaou- 

hing • 1127 a.d. 

2. Heaou-tsung — Lung-hing, Keen- 

taou, Shun-he 1]63 

3. Kwang-tsung — Shaou-he 1190 



no 



4. 



MIDDLE AOES. 



5. 



6. 



7. 



8. 



9. 






4. 


Ning-tsung — King-yuen, Kea-tae, 


Betgn* 
commwoed. 




Kae-he, Kea-ting 


• 


1195A.D. 


5. 


Le-tsung — Paou-king, Shaou 


-ting, 






Twan-ping, Kea-he . 




1225 


6. 


Too-tsung — Han-shnn 




1266 


7. 


Kung-tsung — ^Ti'h-yew 




1275 


8. 


Twan-tsung — King-yen . 




1277 


9. 


Te-ping — Tseang-hing . 




1278 



1. 



6. 



MIDDLE AGES. Ill 

XX. THE YUEN DYNASTY. 
From 1279 to 1367 A. D. 



2. Aj5.ji>ti ^ j^ 




4. ^^Xi ^ >fs. 



Reigns 

CODHDMlOOd* 

1. She-tsoo — Che-yuen 1279 a.d. 

2. Ching-tsung — Yuen-ching, Ta-tA 12S5 

3. Woo-tsung — Che-ta 1308 

4. Jin-tsung — Hwang-king: Yen-yew 1312 

5. Ying-tsung — Che-che 1321 
5. Tae-ting-te — Che-ho 1324 



112 



8. 



MIDDLE AGES. 



^^ ^.m 



^s- ^ 




9, j£^jtj*^Ai ^ ;iW 



Reigzu 
commenced. 



7. Ming- tsung— Teen -leih 1329 a. d. 

8. W^n-tsung — Che-shun 1330 

9. Shun-te — Yuen-tung, Che-yuen, 

Che-ching 1333 



113 



MODERN HISTORY. 

FROM THE MING DYNASTY TO THE PRESENT REIGN. 

A.D. 1368 to 1833. 



1. 



2. 



3. 



4. 



5. 



1. 
2. 
3. 
4. 
5. 



XXI. THE MING DYNASTY. 
From 1368 to 1644. 




1?6 



4&S 



tp, ^ 



Tae-tsoo — Hung-woo 
Keen-w^n-te — Keeii-w4n 
Ching-tsoo — Yung-ltt 
Jin-tsung — Hung-he 
Seuen-tsung — Seuen-tYh 

VOL. I. I 



comnmocd* 

1368 A.D. 

1399 

1403 

1425 

1426 



114 MODERN HISTORY. 

8. MsA. ^ S 



9. 



10. 



11. 






.«. ^.^ ^ 





Reigot 



6. Ying-tsung— Ching-tung, Teen- 

shun 1436 A.D, 

7. King-te— King-tae . 1450 
Ying-tsung (re8tored),Teen-shun 1458 

«. H«en.tsung— Ching-hwa 1466 

9. Heaou-tsung— Hung-cbe 1488 

10. Woo-tsung— CJhing-tfli 1506 

11. She-tsung^Kea-tsing 1522 
Muh- tsung— Lung-king 1 567 



MODERN inSTORY. 115 



15. y|^ /- ^ -I; 







Reigofl 








13. 


Shin-tsung — ^Wan-leih 


1573 A.D. 


14. 


Kwang-tsung — Tae-chang 


1620 


15. 


He-tsung — ^Teen-ke 


1621 


10. 


Hwae-tsung — Tsung-ching 


1628 



XXII. THE TA-TSING DYNASTY.* 
Fnm 1644 to the pntent. 



1. 



^M 






1 . Shun-che — She-taoo-chang- 

hwang-te 1644 a.d. 

* Under this dynasty, the Kwo-haou is placed first ; the long 
second names are the titles or epithets in the ancestorial hall. 

i2 



il6 MODERN HISTORY. 



I. «>* * M.-^M'%. 



5. J^-JP^ 



6. ;^ ^- 



COMIHCiiCBIl. 

2. Kang-he — Shing-tsoo-jin- 

hwang-te 1662 a. d. 

3. Yung-ching — She-tsung-heen- 

hwang-te 1723 

4. Keen-lung — Kaou-tsung-shun- 

hwang.te 1736 

5. Kea-king . 1796 

6. Taou-kwang 1821 



117 



CHAPTER V. 

MYTHOLOGICAL ERA. 
SAN-HWANG. — THE THREE EMPERORS. 

The annals of no nation give us an account of 
the creation of heaven and earth. Grod, the 
Author of all things, visible and invisible, holds 
no place in their vain imaginations, and there- 
fore they do not ascribe to him the creation of 
all things. Sacred history alone contains a 
simple and satisfactory account of these sub- 
jects. 

According to the most learned Chinese, the 
creation of the world is to be ascribed to the 
mutual operation of the male and female prin- 
ciples; heaven and earth began to exist by 
their generative power, and by the reciprocal 
generative power of both, all things were pro- 
duced. Laou-keun says, '' reason produced one, 
one produced two, two produced three, three 
produced all things.'' We pass by the opinions 
of others, equally absurd. 






118 MTTH0LO<i^iCAL ERA. 

When heaven and earth had been separated, 
Pwan-koo was bom in the midst of them, and 
was thus enabled to know the height and 
depth both of earth and heaven. Pwan-koo 
also comprehended the way in which heaven 
and earth were created, and therefore it was 
said of him that he had di'vided heaven and 
earth. The Tae-keih (a Chinese nonentity) 
influenced the Yang and Yin principles ; it was 
by Tae-kc^ifa that two forms were produced, and 
these two forms begat four semblances, by the 
mt&DohBinge id which the forms of all kinds of 
things sprang dsito existence. 

The three follawii^ personagies are the celes- 
tial, terrestrial, and human emperors ; nrfaether 
these peculiar names are expressime of «aerlaiii 
peimds, or aare given .as the real names of per^ 
sons, we cannot determine. Some aulJbors con* 
sider them as emblematical of the creationrr* 
first of heaven, then of earth, and afterwards of 
man. These three Uved for a long time, and 
begat A prodigious multitude of sons and d»igh* 
ters. Yiew-taaou-fshe ita»ght the nunoberous pro* 
geBy of his aflioestors to build nests ; fer tJbey 
wei^ then unacquainted with the use of fire» 
(dcank the blood lof animals, and dressad them* 
selves in their skins : Smy*'jin-she discovered 
the principles of &m by rubbing pieces of wood 
together till the flame issued fonft. Food was 



TKX FIVE XlftBRaRS. 119 

now properly dressed, and the people greatly 
delighted at this new impioYement. As there 
did not yet exist any mode of writing, Say- 
jia bound cords together, which served him 
for a memorandnm. He also greeted an arena, 
for commwueatmg instruction, and promoted 
mutual intercourse ; thus, people became more 
cirilized. 



WOO-TE — FIVE EMPERORS. 

Fuh^he,. considered as the founder of the 
Chinese empire, is the first of tibe Five Empe- 
rors. The nation was, daring the preceding 
leigB, so much increased as to require a go^ 
Temor. He fixed his capital at Hwa-seu, in 
Shense. It was his greatest endeavour to im* 
prove the condition of the people, therefore he 
tav^t them to rear cattle. At first, man dif- 
fered very little from the beasts : '' Though he 
might know his mother, he could not point out 
his father; his dewes were unrestrained. In 
his sleep, he snored ; when he rose, he yawned ; 
when hungry, he ate as much as he could di- 
gest, and threw the remainder away. His dress 
consisted of the skins of animals, his (hrink 
their blood ; but Fuh-he taught them to make 
nets and to rear domesticated animals. Ob- 
serving the constant course of nature, he was 



120 MYTHOLOGICAL ERA. 

anxious to trace the original causes of her great 
revolutions; he therefore invented a system, 
which, by combining the characters of the ele- 
ments in an artificial way , expressed the changes 
in nature. He drew eight different lines, which 
he called the eight kwa; these, multiplied by 
eight, produced a variety of lines, which, sub* 
stituted for the originating causes of the changes 
in nature, clearly pointed out the combination 
of all things." 

This, though nothing better than mere non- 
sense, without even a shadow of truth, has 
nevertheless exercised the ingenuity of the 
wisest Chinese. More useful were Fuh-he's 
endeavours to express thoughts by hieroglyphic 
signs. These are said to have originated in the 
drawing up of two linear tables, the Ho-too and 
the Lo-shoo, which he copied from the back of 
a dragon rising from the deep. He founded 
the celebrated city Chin- too, in Honan. By 
determining the seasons, he introduced order 
into the performance of business ; and to arouse 
the softer feelings of human nature, « Fuh-he was 
anxious to teach bis subjects music. He insti- 
tuted marriage, which hitherto had been un- 
known, appointed negotiators of courtship, and 
regulated the government. After a life of about 
two centuries, he died, generally regretted. In 
this description of a j^ood ruler, which is more. 



THE FIVE EMPERORS. 121 

than a hundred times repeated by Chinese 
authors, we ought to distinguish fiction from 
reality. These were the first weak efforts made 
to reclaim man from a savage state. It is also 
very evident that the western part of China was 
first inhabited; however, the Chinese are too 
proud to admit that their ancestors emigrated 
from the West, probably from Hindoostan. 

Shin*nung, the divine husbandman, taught 
his people to cultivate the ground ; he invented 
the art of healing. To afford a ready sale for 
the produce of the country, Shin-nung esta- 
blished a fair, and then died, after a reign of 
140 years. But man is not satisfied with the 
enjoyment of peace. The latter days of Shin- 
nung were embittered by war, which was excited 
by a prince of the imperial family, who was, 
however, defeated by Heen-yuen, by whom the 
peace of the empire was again established. 
This prince then ascended the throne, under 
the name of Hwang-te, or "the Yellow Em- 
peror.'' He at first had to maintain his power 
by force of arms ; but, as soon as he had con- 
quered his adversary, he turned his atten- 
tion towards the improvement of his country. 
The population having considerably increased, 
Hwang-te sent colonies to the southern part of 
the present province of Pih-chih-le. This prince 
built a palace of brick ; and, with the aid of a 



122 HTTHOLOGXCAL £RA. 

man of great talents, increased the number of 
hieroglyphics, which he originally copied from 
the lines upon the back of a certain insect. He 
went still farther ; and to fix his subjects upon 
the soil, built villages and cities, and introduced 
the utmost order amongst them. He, moreover, 
erected an observatory, and rectified the calen* 
dar ; his empress, no less enterprising and in- 
ventive, succeeded in manufacturing silk, of 
which she made elegant robes of state. He in- 
vented arms, carts, boats, clocks, chariots^ and 
an ingenious musical instrument; introduced 
coined money, and regulated the measures. Ac- 
cording to this account, there remained very 
little room for improvement. It is, however^ 
matter of wonder, that the antediluvians should 
have made so rapid a progress in the arts and 
sciences ; but we may, perhaps, account for this, 
by supposing, that the Chinese historians are 
always anxious to refer entirely to antiquity, 
what has been the work of many ages. 

Shaou*haou, his son and successor, was bom 
under the influence of a star; the prevailing 
element of his nature was metal. The Chinese 
acknowledge five different elements, from which 
all things are composed. His reign was in- 
glorious. However, he wished to signalize him* 
self in the road of improvement, and observ- 
ing a phenix, ordered all mandarins to wear 



THE FXV£ £HP£ROHS. 123 



embroidered birds <m Uieir robes of state ; 
custom is kept up to this day. He inyented 
an air, with the express purpose of rousing the 
softer feelings of our nature, and promoting har- 
mony. By his negligence, several weak*minded 
people were enabled to spread the superstitions 
of magical arts. His grave, as well as that of 
Hwang-te, is shown to this day. 

Chuen-heuh, whose prevailing nature was 
water, resisted the growing superstition, and 
introduced a ritual for the service of Shang-te, 
the supreme emperor (or heavenly ruler.) Not- 
withstanding the great pains his predecessors 
had taken to rectify the calendar, he still dis- 
covered some errors. From him descended, in 
the third generation, the celebrated emperor 
Yu. This prince, anxious to profit by every 
thing, is celebrated for his ability to distinguish 
even distant objects, and is said to have pos- 
sessed penetration to understand the most ab- 
struse things. He followed heaven's course^ 
and understood the unsettled minds of the peo- 
ple ; though benevolent, he was revered ; though 
indulgent, he was beloved. His great attention 
was directed towards the exercise of virtue, and 
the whole empire willingly submitted to his 
rule. During his reign took place a conjunc- 
tion of five planets, in the constellation of Ying- 
shih. If we may believe the Chinese historians, 



124 MYTHOLOCnCAL £RA. 

the empire was at that time as extensive as at 
the present moment^ stretching southward to 
Cochin-china> and on the north to Tatary, whilst 
its eastern boundaries were the ocean. 

Te-kuh established schools, and appointed 
able professors for the instruction of youth. Not 
satisfied with discouraging vice by exhortation, 
and example, he even promoted virtue by means 
of that useful instrument—a drum ! He intro- 
duced polygamy by marrying four wives, three 
of whom were for a long time barren, but they 
appealed to Shang-te, and each of them became 
the mother of a son. Two of these princes are 
celebrated as the founders of the Shang and 
Chow dynasties. 

Te-che, his eldest son, very unlike his father, 
lived only to satisfy his own desires, neglecting 
the government of the state, until at length 
the nobility, after many fruitless attempts to re- 
form him, called his brother Yaou to the throne, 
which Te*che lost by his own faults. 

THE REIGNS OF YAOU AND SHUN. 

We are now arrived at a period which Confu- 
cius himself has delineated. It is the most pro- 
minent in all Chinese history, the whole govern- 
ment of the country being founded upon the 

* See the Kangkeen-e-che-luh, vol. i. 



YAOU AND SHUN. 125 

institutions of these two emperors. Their ex- 
ample is elevated above that of all other princes, 
as if in them alone was original wisdom and 
virtue in perfection. The best monarchs are 
only humble imitators of their virtuous actions ; 
no one has surpassed, no one was ever equal to 
them. Their government having reached the 
summit of perfection, their successors are not 
expected to improve the art of government; 
their utmost efforts scarcely sulB&cing to enable 
them to follow the glorious example of anti- 
quity. Yaou the sage, and the divine Shun, 
have uttered so many excellent sayings, that 
people ought no more to think for themselves, 
but simply to adopt the wise maxims of those 
worthies. Confucius himself merely pretends 
to be a reformer of his nation, to have nothmg 
original, and only to place the doctrines of 
these sages in a fuller light. Such, in short, is 
the veneration of the Chinese, that the greatest 
eulogium they can pass upon a ruler is to say, 
— " You are a Yaou— or a Shun." These patri- 
archs have survived many thousand years in the 
memory of millions ; their stem virtues, their 
filial piety are the admiration of all ages. We 
shall faithfully recapitulate their virtues, and 
simply state our conviction, that Confucius, 
wishing to draw a man of consummate virtue, 
invested with ideal perfection the rulers Yaou 



126 MYTHOLOGICAL ERA. 

and Sbfim, two chie& famous in the ancient 
traditional histoiy of the country. Later Ms- 
torians have invalidated Coniucius's testimony 
in favour of their reigns, by ascribing to Hwang- 
te all the great inventions and improvements, 
which demonstrate, according to Confucius, the 
great original genius of Yaou and Sfamr. 

Yaou began to reign in 2337 b. c. He was 
then very young, but his heart was penetrated 
by a benevolence as extensive as heaven ; in 
prudence he equalled the most shrewd minds ; 
the lustre of his intelligence shone like the stm 
in his glory ; like the rain which descends from 
the clouds and fertilizes the country, his bless- 
ings were spread over the whole nation. AH 
was simplicity, all was sincerity. 

His mother observed a red dragon, and was de- 
livered of him after fourteen months pregnancy. 
Few great men have found so renowned a bio- 
grapher as Yaou. His actions, like those ot 
the most celebrated princes, are recorded in the 
Shoo-king, a work compiled by Confucius, as 
we have already observed. With Yaou, the 
first Chinese cycle begins ; from him the eaiiicst 
Chinese annals are dated. The Shoo-king^ is 
too sententious, too abrupt, too obscure to be 
quoted as an incontrovertible authority. The 
reader has first to consult the commentary, and 
then to read the text, in order to understjEtnd its 



YAOU AND SHUN. 127 

contents. Yet it forms the great text-book, 
upon which all Chinese literati have expatiated ; 
their philosophers have no new thoughts^ they 
only comment upon the sententious maxims of 
the Shoo* king; even in Confucius's own say- 
ings, there is scarcely any sentiment which is 
not hinted at in the Shoo*king. In this ancient 
book we find frequent allusion to the Supreme 
Being ; he is referred to in the most solemn 
tenns : to him is ascribed every good and per- 
fect gift. This circumstance would inspire us 
with delight, and we should call to mind that 
period of primeval simplicity, when China was 
free from gross idolatry, did Confucius not in- 
culcate, in plain terms, the worship of material 
heaven and earth, and make his heroes issue 
orders to do homage to the spirits of hills, rivers, 
seas, &c. — ^This latter doctrine is far the more 
explicit, whilst the former is never dwelt upon. 

Yaou was frugal in his food, and almost mean 
in his dress ; to study the happiness of his peo- 
ple was his sole business. Unwearied in his re- 
searches, he made annual tours throughout the 
empire ; his arrival was anxiously looked for ; 
his presence, as refreshing as that of the rain 
upon the parched soil. What he taught in words 
he inculcated by example. " Strive," he said, 
•' for wisdom, and render virtue conspicuous ; 
show obedience to your superiors, be kind, be 



128 MYTHOLOGICAL ERA. 

condescending ; thus you will promote harmony, 
and all the nation will be happy." Without 
effort he promoted virtue, his sole example be- 
ing sufficient to render the whole nation vir- 
tuous ; " virtue ran with the speed of a posti- 
lion ; and he thus ruled the nation as easily 
as he could turn a finger in the palm of his 
hand." — A rare instance, and, if true, the only 
one in all history ! 

He commenced his reign with appointing two 
astronomers. He and JBTo, to regulate the year, 
by adding intercalary months, and to point 
out the four seasons. The southern barbarians 
came to court and presented a divine tortoise, 
having upon its back characters, which recorded 
the history of the world from the beginning. 
This reign was remarkable for extraordinary 
and conspicuous omens ; there grew a plant, 
the leaves of which budded and faded according 
to the period of the moon. The phoenix and 
the ke-lin, a fabulous quadruped, which invari- 
ably appears, whenever there is a wise emperor 
at the head of government, rendered his reign 
exceedingly prosperous. Old and young sang 
odes in honour of their beloved sovereign. A 
man of Hwa-fung blessed him, by saying, — 
*' Shuy-yun, sage, possess riches, enjoy old age, 
and have many sons." The emperor replied, 
'' I do not desire this, for wherever there are 



YAOU AND SHUN. 129 

many sons, there is also much to fear; where there 
is much riches, there is also much to do ; and 
as for old age, it is a state of much disgrace." 
The old man replied — " Heaven has brought 
forth myriads of people, and must give them a 
government ; if you have many sons you may 
entrust them with the government ; if you have 
much riches, you may disperse them amongst 
the people ; if the empire has a good govern- 
ment, you may harmonize with the spirit of the 
age ; if the empire is ruled negligently, you 
may yourself cultivate virtue, — when you are a 
thousand years old, and tired with the world, 
ascend then on high and become a demi-god ; 
ride upon the white clouds, retire to the impe- 
rial abode ; — but do not rejoice at the disgrace 
of old age." 

Yaou was anxious to choose a person who 
might sustain with him the burthen of empire. 
His choice fell upon Shun, a man belonging to 
the common people, who was renowned for his 
persevering filial piety, and rewarded by the 
emperor with the gift of his own two daughters 
in marriage. 

There is an extraordinary catastrophe men- 
tioned in the reign of Yaou, which is one of the 
greatest events in the history of mankind, — the 
deluge. — It is said the waters of the deluge rose 
higher and higher, till their wide expanse en- 

VOL. I. K 



130 MTTHOLOGICAL ERA. 

circled the mountains and ooiFered the sonunitB. 
Mang-tsze (Mencius,) in speaking of the same 
event, remarks, that at the time of Yaou, the de- 
luge had not yet entirely subsided ; the jungle 
and brushwood grew most luxuriantly, and the 
wild beasts were very Hum»ous, so that the fine 
grain could not be cultivated. Yaou at first 
dispatched Kawn to remedy the evil; and as 
he proved unsuccessful, he was replaced by his 
son Yu, who succeeded. 

We do not doubt but this was the same flood 
recorded in sacred history, though we are not 
able to give the exact date from Chinese his- 
tory ; nor do we hesitate to affirm, that China 
was peopled after the deluge, and that the reiga 
of the three emperors is either allegorical or 
fabulous. The five emperors we consider as 
renowned chiefs ; Yaou, Shun, and Yu, the foun- 
ders of the Shang dynasty, as the Chinese pa- 
triarchs. As these remote ages are enveloped 
in daikness, we attempt not to lift the veil by 
mere supposition, though we do not he^tate to 
affirm, that the Chinese nation, widi all the 
Tatar tribes, descended from Shem, the blessed 
of God. The same almighty power, which guided 
those immense hordes of Tatars in swarming to 
the west, could also conduct a few families to 
the extremities of eastern Asia. The Chinese 
spread from the western to the eastern part of 



YAOU AMD SHUN. 131 

the empire, and though no tradition is extant, 
we believe, that they are all of one and the same 
blood. 

During the hitter days of Yaou's reign. Shun 
perfonned the most arduous duties of the empire 
for twenty-eight years. Yaou reigned altoge- 
ther ninety-nine years, a period never exceeded 
by any monarch; and finally, sunk into the 
grave, 2238 b. c. 

Shun was descended from one of the preced- 
ing emperors, but his family being poor, he ex- 
ercised alternately tlie trade of a husbandman, 
potter, and fisherman. He had a step-mother 
and a half-brother, both of whom combined with 
his father to disquiet him to the utmost. When 
he was already a colleague of ihe emperor, mar- 
ried to two beautiful females, and possessed 
numerous servants and riches, he pined away 
from being unable to conciliate the good- will of 
his parents. His unwearied love was repaid, 
however, by the most inveterate hatred. Once 
he was ordered by Koo-sow, his father, to ascend 
a barn ; and as soon as he had reached the roof, 
the father took away the ladder, and set fire to 
the barn, in order to burn his son ; Shun, how- 
ever, escaped unhurt. At another time he was 
compelled to descend into a well, which was 
immediately covered by his brother Seang ; but 
Shun escaped by a secret passage, while Seang, 

k2 



132 MYTHOLOGICAL ERA. 

ignorant of the fact, rejoiced at his having ac- 
complished his unnatural design. He divided 
Shun's property, giving the cattle to his parents, 
and retaining for himself his bow, spear, shield, 
and musical intruments. He then proceeded to 
visit his sisters-in-law, whom he henceforth con- 
sidered as his own wives ; there he found, to his 
great astonishment. Shun sitting upon a bed, 
and playing the guitar ; but recovering from his 
confusion at this unexpected sight, he said : *^ I 
longed to see you.'' Shun did not upbraid his 
brother with his horrible crime, but gave him an 
appointment in the government. For these and 
similar acts, Shun's filial piety is lauded to the 
skies ; his example had a powerful influence 
over the whole nation, who were all transformed 
into dutiful children. 

During tlie reign of Yaou, Shun's attention 
u as directed towards the draining of marshes^ 
in which the indefatigable Yu was engaged. 
China extended at that time, according to the 
'ancient maps, from 23'' to 40° of latitude, and 
from the 6th degree west from Peking to 19 de- 
grees east. The imperial residence was then 
in Ke-choo, a territory east of Shan-tung, where 
Yu commenced the draining of the waters, and 
the confining of the rivers to their beds. This 
was a Herculean task, but Yu's wisdom and 
prudence were equal to it. He visited every 



VAOU AND SHUN. 133 

place, opened canals, drained marshes, led the 
smaller rivers into the ocean, burnt down the 
jungle and weeds, and thus rendered the em- 
pire habitable. But this was not all ; he exa- 
mined the nature of the soil, and easily disco- 
vered what it was best calculated to produce. 
Accordingly, he instituted land and other taxes, 
and ordered the barbarians to pay tribute.* 

All this detail, may justly excite surprise; 
for those taxes are levied, not only on grain, 
and other things, which are necessary for the 
maintenance of human life, but on articles of 
the greatest luxury, which are only found 
amongst the most civilized nations. How a 
country, which was only a few years before re- 
claimed from marshes and jungle, could pay so 
great taxes, with scarcely any inhabitants upon 
it, we surely cannot explain. It is almost a 
hopeless task to reconcile all the accounts of 
the Shoo-king, in which truth is blended with 
traditional fictions. Besides these taxes, many 
tracks of lands were allotted for the maintenance 
of the court, others for the public weal ; and 
some hundred acres for the habitation of bar- 
barians. 

The modest Shun, when he was called to par- 
ticipate in the throne, long refused so high an 

• See the Shoo-king, Part. II. Chap. I. 



134 MYTHOLOGICAL ERA. 

honour, upon the plea of being unworthy to 
reign, but Yaou conferred upon him the dignity 
without the least hesitation ; yet Shun could not 
allow himself to be called emperor as long as 
Yaou lived. His first work was the construc- 
tion of a sphere, in which the celestial bodies 
were indicated by precious stones of different 
colours. A similar sphere is still in the impe- 
rial observatory. When he entered upon his 
duty, he offered sacrifices to the supreme em- 
peror, to hills and rivers, and to the whole host 
of heaven ; thus he was sure, that none of the 
minor divinities could be ofiended with him« 
How degraded are even the best of men ! On 
his tour through the empire, he paid respect to 
all the gods by continual sacrifices. These 
tours, though called hunts, were made with the 
sole object of examining into the state of the 
country, and redressing all kinds af grievances. 
He reduced the criminal laws to a code, which 
forms at this day the basis of the Chinese 
laws. Sze-ma-tseen gives some examples of his 
punishments. To reform the northern barba* 
rians, he sent Kwan-tow, an olB&cer in disgrace, 
to the Tsung mountain. Kwan, who, without 
success, engaged in draining the marshes, was 
exiled to the Yu mountains. In order to ren- 
der the southern savages more tractable, the 
San-meaou nation was sent thither, to esta- 



YAOU AND SHUN. 136 

blish colonies amongst them, whilst Kaou went 
amongst the eastern barbarians to teach them 
better manners. Thus he inflicted punishment 
IB such a manner, as at the same time to render 
others happy. As punishments had hitherto 
been extremely barbarous, consisting in branding 
the face, cutting aS both nose and ears, &c. ; 
he abolished these inhuman modes of punish- 
ing, enacted effectual laws to prevent crime, 
and thus proved a great benefactor to his coun- 
try. Chinese historians endeavour to persuade 
us, that during the time of Yaou and Shun, no 
capital crimes were committed, so great was 
the influence of a virtuous example ; but if this 
had been the case, what necessity existed to 
abolish cruel punishments, which were never 
inflicted, and to create others equally severe, 
but not so revolting to human feelings ? 

When Yaou died, deeply regretted by all the 
people, Shun withdrew from office for three 
yearSy in order to bewail the loss of this great 
emperor, and to yield the throne to Yaou's son. 
But the people deserted the son of Yaou to fol- 
low Shun, with joy proclaiming him emperor, 
so that he at length reluctantly yielded to their 
wishes. 

To record all the eulogiums bestowed upon 
Shun would be tedious; his reign was most 
peaceful, his subjects were virtuous. He raised to 



136 MYTHOLOGICAL ERA. 

great honours the descendants of the foregoing 
dynasty, who had long lived in obscurity. In 
order to see his actions in a true light, he per- 
mitted every body to accuse him, whenever he 
chose ; his officers were kept in good order by 
a tribunal invested with the power of punishing 
and rewarding. He was not only wise, but also 
brave. Neither demons nor apparitions could 
terrify him, nor showers of rain, nor peals of 
thunder, make him tremble. 

To lessen the cares of government, he asso- 
ciated Yu with himself upon the throne. Anxi- 
ous to fulfil his duty towards the invisible 
powers, he appointed a minister to officiate at 
the sacrifices ofiered to heaven, earth, and the 
imperial ancestors. If Shun was so wise a 
prince, we doubt the veracity of his falling into 
so gross idolatry, as worshipping the material 
heaven and earth. It was his wish to make the 
most practical doctrines known to all the peo- 
ple, and therefore they were repeated in songs, 
and thus learnt from early infancy. Consider- 
ing his ministers as his feet and hands, he was 
particularly anxious, that the executors of his 
commands should be trustworthy and zealous. 
To remind them of their duty, he pointed out 
to them the symbols in their robes of state. 
Some had a sun, moon, and stars embroidered 
upon them ; " This," he said, '* points out the 



YAOU AND SHUN. 137 

knowledge of which we ought to be possessed, 
in order to rule well. The mountains indicate the 
constancy and firmness of which we stand in 
need ; the dragon denotes, that we ought to use 
every means to inspire the people with virtue ; 
the beauty and variety of the colours of a phea- 
sant remind us of the good example we ought to 
give, by practising the various virtues. In the 
upper robe, we behold six different kinds of em- 
broidery, which are to remind us of the virtues 
to be engraven in our breast. The vase» which 
we are used to see in the hall of the ancestors, is 
a symbol of obedience and of filial piety ; the 
aquatic herb is a symbol of purity and disin- 
terestedness ; the fire, of zeal and love for vir- 
tue ; the rice, of the plenty which we ought to 
procure for the people ; the hatchet is a symbol 
of justice in the punishment of vice ; and the 
dresses Foo and Fuh, are symbols of the dis- 
cernment which we ought to have of good and 
evil." 

We cannot repeat all his excellent sayings in 
his conversations with Yu, Kaou-yaou» and 
others, which are recorded in the Shoo-king — 
all relate to but one point, the practice of vir- 
tue ; — virtue is the sole source of happiness. On 
examining the translation of this work into 
French, we observe with regret that it is too much 
embellished, and that whole sentences are sup- 



138 MYTHOLOGICAL ERA. 

plied. However, a simple translation would be 
entirely unintelligible to the reader, the style 
being much too concise and antiquated. 

Having established a hospital for the aged, 
by whose conversation he often profited, Shun 
died at Ming*teaou on one of his visits through 
the empire, in the 48th yearof his reign, 2208, b. c. 



139 



CHAPTER VI. 



HEA DYNASTY. 

2207—1767, B. c. 

Yu, a very modest man, endeavoured to yield the 
throne to Shun's son, but the people repaired to 
him with their law-suits, the officers of govem- 
ment with such affairs as belonged to the state, 
and thus virtually declared him to be emperor. 
He had given a sufficient pledge of his capacity 
to goT«m by draining the marshes, dividing the 
lands, and introducing order and regularity into 
all branches of the administration . His filial piety 
was well tried ; for it was he who stepped forth 
to save his father from ignominy by completing 
the work which he had failed to accomplish. 

His birth, like that of every Chinese hero, 
was miraculous. His mother saw a shooting 
star, and dreamt that she swallowed some pearl 
barley, at the moment she conceived. When 
he was grown up, he measured nine feet two 
inches. His strength was surpassed by his 
courage. He heeded not the numerous serpents 



140 H£A DYNASTY. 

and tigers, but encountered them boldly, when 
he was clearing the land from jungle. It was 
his maxim to provide abundantly for the wants 
of the people. He taught them to sow the five 
grains, and to attend to the nature of the soil, 
and the changes of the seasons, in all their 
agricultural pursuits. Solid virtue, and stem 
honesty, joined to a cautious temper, were ac- 
cording to his opinion the requisites of a good 
governor. He imitated his predecessors in con- 
sidering music as the means of inspiring the 
softer feelings of nature, and promoting har- 
mony amongst the nation. The ancient music 
of the Chinese must have been far superior to 
that of their posterity, for we cannot conceive, 
how such harsh sounds, and such miserable in- 
struments, as we now see in use, could be pro- 
ductive of the desired eflfect. When he made 
his tours through the country, he summoned the 
principal officers to render an account of their 
administration, and to give them his salutary 
lessons. 

When Shun was about to associate him with 
himself upon the throne, he addressed him in 
the following manner : — 

** Come here, Yu, thou hast proved faithful, 
and merited well in draining the land. Thou 
art the only sage. Thou hast shown thyself 
diligent in regulating the country ; in regulating 



HEA DYNASTY. 141 

thy own family, thou has been careful. Be not 
puffed up by vain conceit ; but the empire is 
not envious of thy power, for thou art not vain. 
Thou seest that I encourage merit and praise 
deserts, and therefore thou art to succeed me 
upon the throne, for to thee belongs this august 
rank." 

Thus encouraged, Yu could address his offi- 
cers in equally strong language. — " Be circum- 
spect," he said ; '' this will save you much anx- 
iety. Never transgress the law, never study 
your ease, never be drowned in pleasure. Trust 
yourselves entirely to the guidance of sages. 
Never act in opposition to the will of the people, 
in order to honour your own whims. Be neither 
slothful nor negligent, and even the barbarians 
of the four quarters of the globe will acknow- 
ledge you as their rulers." The officers fre- 
quently replied, and many a wise maxim was 
uttered during those meetings : we know not, 
however, how far they practised, what they so 
readily approved. Many of the maxims are 
worthy of the consideration of all princes ; they 
are the fruits of good, sound sense, and speak 
highly for the wisdom of those who uttered 
them. But Yu did not only profit by the ad- 
vice of his ministers ; the simple remark of a 
common rustic drew his attention. To prevent 
oppression in every shape, and to gain the ne- 



142 H£A DYNASTY. 

cesBaiy advice in goyemment afiairs, he caused 
a bell to be placed at the gate of the palace ; 
TdiosoeYer wished to conyerse with him upon civil 
affairs, sounded it, and was immediately admitted* 
A tablet of iron invited the people to complain of 
any grievances, which might have been occa- 
sioned by the oppressive measures of their ma- 
gistrates. There were likewise leaden and stone 
tablets, to induce the wise throughout the em- 
pire to come and advise him on subjects of law, 
ministerial affairs, &c. He was deeply grieved, 
when he met, in one of his tours, the body of a 
man, who had been assassinated ; but instead 
of threatening vengeance, he blamed himself 
for not having prevented such a cruel act by a 
paternal and efficient government. 

Though Yu had already arrived at the age of 
ninety-three years, when he ascended the throne, 
he was still vigorous in establishing good insti- 
tutions, and fully deserves the epithet of Ta, 
'' Great," which has been bestowed upon him. 

In order to perpetuate the results of his re- 
searches, he caused the map of the nine provinces 
into which he had divided the empire, to be en- 
graven upon large vessels of brass. These were 
viewed by the Chinese with superstitious vene- 
ration, and whoever possessed them, considered 
himself invested with sovereign power. To add 
greater dignity to the title of monarch, he com- 



H£A DTNA^STY. 143 

faned the fonctiKms of a hi^ priest wkh itnpe^ 
rial mcyesty. All the succeeding emperors of 
China have exercised the sacerdotal functions, 
and continued to offer sacrifices to heaven and 
earth. 

Ta (the Great,) Yu, died after a reign of 
seven years, 2198 b. c. His name will always 
rank high in the pages of Chinese history ; nor 
deserves such a prince to be foi^otien in the 
annals of nations. 

In the preceding relation, we have nothing 
recorded except what is w^ founded upon the 
authority of Chinese historians, whose great 
defects are sameness and partiality. None of 
the distinguishing characteristics are drawn 
with an historical hand. Yaou, Shun, and Yn, 
are virtuous ; they act from the same motives, 
and in the same way. Viewing them as com- 
mon mortals, liable to the frailties of their own 
kind, we should have expected a faithful repre- 
sentatkHi of their errors and faults, in a station 
of life, where the most perfect of men cannot 
be entirely exempt from blame ; but we read of 
no blemishes in their character. We cannot 
imagine, tliat a nation like the Chinese, just 
emerging from barbarism, should all at once 
make such rapid strides towards perfection; 
this is the Utopian march of intellect. — ^Yet, not- 
withstanding these reasonable doubts respect* 



144 HEA DYNASTY. 

ing the entire truth of those annals, we are ready 
to confess that these three rulers, Yaou, Shun, 
and Yu, were great men, appointed by Grod to 
become the founders of the lai^est nation in 
the world. 

In the course of this history, we shall pass 
over in silence those emperors, whose reigns 
were not remarkable for any extraordinary 
event, in order to avoid a tiresome detail of tri- 
yial occurrences. 

2197 B. c. Te-ke, the son of Yu, succeeded to 
the throne. Contrary to the examples of the 
two preceding reigns, he was chosen successor 
by the unanimous voice of the people and the 
mandarins, because he was a wise prince, and 
worthy of the throne of his father. All the 
mandarins repaired to court to do homage to 
the new emperor, who received them with the 
greatest kindness. There was only one tribu- 
tary prince, who refused to acknowledge Te-ke 
as his liege lord ; yet Te-ke would have forgiven 
him, had he not in the meanwhile ravaged a 
part of the Se-gan district in Shense. In con- 
sequence of this act, he assembled the tributary 
princes, and addressed them in the following 
manner : — '' I have called you hither to inform 
you of the rebellion of Yew-she ; this man, 
without any regard to the production of the five 
elements, which contribute towards the main- 



HEA DVNASTY. 146 

tenance and subsistence of the people, ravages 
the whole of the Kan country (the name of the 
present province of Se-gan) ; he sets at defiance 
the three principal duties, viz. the homage due 
to Heaven, the respect due to the prince, and 
the love due to the people. He has not come 
here to acknowledge me as his liege lord. He 
has not, however, offended me, but the gods ; 
for I have received this dignity from Heaven. 
Heaven wills, that I take revenge, and that I 
deprive him of the life of which he has made so 
bad a use. In obedience to the orders of Hea- 
ven, I wish to lead my troops against him, pre- 
pare every thing speedily, I wish to enter upon 
the executioji of my design." Such language 
is even to this day frequently held by the Chi- 
nese government under similar circumstances. 
His soldiers, well equipped, marched into the 
field, the battle was decisive. Yew-she was de- 
feated, and disappeared. Thus the peace of the 
country was speedily restored. 

Tae-kang, the eldest son of Te-ke, began his 
reign in 2188 b. c. He was so addicted to hunt- 
ing, that he ravaged the lands of his subjects, 
and rendered himself highly odious to the 
nation. £, a governor of a district, remonstrated 
with him, but to no purpose. He therefore as- 
sembled an army, defeated the emperor, and 
placed his brother, Chung-kang, upon the 

VOL. I. L 



146 HEA DYNASTY. 

throne. An ode, contained in the classical col- 
lection, — the She-king, commemorates this 
event. Tae-kang lost the empire, because he 
did not observe the wise maxims of his grand- 
father. As long as Tae-kang lived, Chung- 
kang refused to assume the imperial title ; but 
as soon as he was informed of his death, he 
ascended the vacant throne. The negligence and 
debauchery of the two astronomers, He and Ho^ 
obliged him to wage war against them. To march 
an army, however, against two astronomers^ who 
had failed to record an eclipse, is rather an ex- 
traordinary undertaking. His general, Ying- 
how, defeated, and killed them. This success 
roused the envy of E, who had deposed the for- 
mer emperor; which grievously afflicted the 
sovereign, who loved his people, and was anxi- 
ous to mend his past faults, in order to render 
them virtuous. He went so far as to invite 
the people, by a bell, to observe the defects of 
government, and if any body had suggested mea- 
sures for improvement, to make them kaown ; 
in case of neglect, the people were severely 
punished. However, he did not live long enough 
to see the consequences of this proceeding. His 
son, Te-seang, was a monarch of very humane 
disposition, but wanted the talent for goveming^ 
an empire. Several bodies of banditti, with 
Yew-she at their head, had combined to ravage 



HEA DYNASTY. 147 

the country. E routed them ; but, puffed up 
by success, he presumed upon the weakness of 
Te-seang, and usurped the whole government 
of the empire. Te-seang had no other alterna- 
tiye but submission or flight. He withdrew for 
some time from the capital ; but being prevailed 
on to return, he again became a slave to his 
minister, who leagued with a mean individual 
called Han-tsuh, in order to undermine the 
throne. Han-tsuh, a man of crafty and subtle 
character, ambitious of the splendours of royalty, 
killed E during a hunting excursion, and insti- 
gated Keaou, the son of E, to wage war against 
the emperor, in order to revenge the death of his 
father, whom he declared to have been assassi- 
nated by the emperor's creatures. Keaou van- 
quished the imperial forces, killed the emperor, 
and marched victoriously into the capital. The 
empress was then pregnant, and escaped the 
general slaughter, 2119 b. c. Very soon after- 
wards, she brought forth a son, whom she care- 
fully hid. After eight years, her retreat was 
betrayed to Han-tsuh, but the careful mother 
sent her son into the mountains ; and when he 
was even there discovered, she procured for him 
the office of a kitchen-boy in the palace of the 
governor of Yu. When here, his birth was dis- 
covered by this sagacious governor, and he was 
sent to another place, Lo-fun, a desert. Here he 

l2 



148 



HEA DYNASTY, 



rallied many people around him. By his vir-* 
tuous actions he gained their affection, and in- 
fluenced their conduct in such a manner, that 
even the desert became a paradise. This attracted 
the notice of the governors in the neighbourhood, 
who were greatly astonished to see so young a 
man gifted with such great qualities. Having 
joined his party, whilst the empress interested 
many nobles who lived at court in his behalf; 
they combined their respective- forces, and 
marched against Han-tsuh, whom they defeated 
in a pitched battle. He, another chief, was 
slain by the emperor's son Choo, and Te-shaou 
then ascended the throne. He reigned peace- 
fully 22 years, and was followed in 

2037 B. c. by Te-choo, an excellent prince. 
During the usurpation of Han-tsuh, great abuses 
had arisen, and the whole nation had dege- 
nerated. Te-choo laboured to reform these 
abuses, but the evil had taken too deep a root. 
He was followed by Te-hwae. During the reigns 
of Te-hwae, Te-mang, Te-see, Te-puh-keang, 
Te-keung, Te-kin, Te-kung-kea, Te-kaou, and 
Te-fa, nothing remarkable occurred, but the 
empire decayed more and more, and the poste- 
rity of Yu fell into disrepute. 

Kee-kwei, or simply Kee, ascended the 
throne in 1818 B.C. He was one of the worst 
princes who ever ruled China. Historians 



HEA DYNASTY. 149 

have, perhaps, dwelt too much upon his vices, 
and not mentioned even one redeeming quality ; 
but they cannot keep the due medium ; their 
heroes are virtuous to perfection, — their tyrants 
monsters of iniquity. 

Ree was naturally vicious. He saw the de- 
cline of the imperial authority, and endeavoured 
to chastise the unruly nobles. Yew- she, gover- 
nor of Mung-shan, saw the tempest approaching, 
and in order to avert it, gave his daughter. Mo-he, 
an artful crafty woman, to Ree. Charmed with 
her appearance, Ree abandoned all thoughts of 
war. In order to please her, he built a room 
coated with jasper; all the furniture was adorned 
with precious stones ; and in this place he cele- 
brated the orgies of the most degraded licenti- 
ousness. In his court he had piles of meat, and 
ponds of wine, to which he invited his votaries 
to indulge in all kinds of excesses. History 
ought never to have dwelt upon the monstrous 
debaucheries, which were here practised with- 
out shame or reluctance. A minister, who re- 
monstrated with his sovereign, was beheaded ; 
upon this, E-yin, another faithful servant, with- 
drew, which occasioned murmuring throughout 
the nation. Ching-tang, a descendant of H wang- 
le, was highly displeased with the proceedings 
of his sovereign, who grew daily worse; and 
with the extreme cruelty with which he treated 



160 HEA DYNASTY. 

his subjects. As he held an hereditary barony, 
that of Shang, of the crown, he afforded an 
asylum to all the faithful ministers of the em- 
peror, who were forced from the presence of 
their lord. E-yin advised Ching-tang to de- 
throne the monster. Ching-tang at first refused, 
but being overcome by the solicitations of the 
multitude, he took up arms ; protesting, that he 
was not seeking his own advantage, but only 
executing the decree of Heaven. The Su- 
preme Emperor, he said, has rejected Kee; I 
go to punish him for his crimes ; cleave to me to 
the last. The two armies coming in sight, Kee 
suffered a defeat, and surrendered himself to 
the victor; but feigning repentance, he only 
prayed that his life might be spared. Ching- 
tang willingly left him in possession of the 
throne, and returned to his own principality. 
Kee promised to reform his past errors. But 
scarcely was he again seated upon the throne, 
when he relapsed into his former enormities, 
and threatened to revenge himself upon Tang. 
But Tang again marching with a numerous 
army against the faithless monarch, the impe- 
rial troops, at the sight of the* enemy, threw 
down their arms and fled. Kee escaped, and, 
forsaken by the whole world, died an ignominious 
death in exile, 1766. The last scion of the Hea 
dynasty, Chan-wei, son of Kee, retired to the 



HEA DYNASTY. 161 

Borthem deserts, where he ended his life amongst 
savages. Ching-tang, therefore, ascended the 
throne, and became the founder of the Shang 
dynasty. This revolution was accompanied by 
signs from Heaven. The whole globe trembled, 
a mountain sank into the earth, the stars lost 
their lustre, &c. 

A retrospect of the events of the western world 
is necessary, to combine with this history. 

Whilst all the descendants of Noah gradually 
relapsed into idolatry, God chose one family, 
as the depository of a pure religion. Abraham, 
the friend of God, enjoyed communion with his 
Creator ; and Isaac and Jacob followed in the 
footsteps of the father of the faithful. 

God, at the same time, raised up another 
ancient empire, not inferior to China in the 
arts of civilised life. — Egypt, a mere valley 
along the banks of the Nile, emerged rapidly 
from obscurity. Between these two empires 
some have discovered a very great resemblance. 
In both, agriculture and astronomy were highly 
prized, respect for superiors inculcated, parents 
held in honour, and a hieroglyphic mode of writ- 
ing adopted. Among the Egyptians, the most 
degrading superstitions prevailed; while the 
Chinese had a political religion of mere forms. 
In both nations the worship of the dead obtained. 
Some have traced the origin of the Chinese to 



152 H£A DYNASTY. 

a colony of Egyptians ; forgetting that similar 
causes produce similar effects, and that nations 
will spontaneously adopt rites and customs, 
similar to those of other people, by the mere 
impulse of human nature.* 

Phcenicia, another state well deserving our 
notice, contributed towards the civilization of 
the world, and ranked high among the mighty 
empires of Western Asia. Phcenicia united the 
most distant nations by the common interest of 
trade ; and therefore greatly contributed to im- 
prove the condition of the most distant maritime 
countries. The Assyrian monarchy, founded 
by Nimrod, the great hunter, was also contem- 
porary. In Eastern Asia, we observe the 
greatest monotony; the most civilized part is 
one great mass; whilst Western Asia and 
Northern Africa exhibit a pleasing variety, and 
a multitude of states, each striving for supe- 
riority. 

* See St. John's *^ Egypt and Mohammed Ali," rol. ii. 
pp. 37 — 132, where the character and civilization of the ancient 
Egyptians, as far as they can be discovered from history and 
their own architectural monuments, are investigated and com- 
pared with those of other ancient nations. 



153 



CHAPTER VII. 

SHANO DYNASTY. 
1766—1122 B. C. 

As soon as Ching-tang had entered upon the 
duties of government, he called the princes and 
people together. *' Kee, or Hea/' he said, '' has 
committed crimes; Heaven has rejected him. 
The Supreme Emperor knows the heart : if you 
commit faults, I am responsible for them ; if I 
transgress, I shall not forgive myself, and you 
are by no means responsible for my faults. As- 
sist me in establishing peace, concord, and 
virtue.*' 

None of the other emperors mention so fre- 
quently the name ofShang-te, the Supreme Em- 
peror ; nor does any one of them seem to have 
been penetrated by so great an awe of him as 
Ching-tang. However, having usurped the 
throne, it was requisite to give reasons for this 
unprecedented action; there being no higher 
power to appeal to than the Supreme Emperor, 
whose apparent sanction alone could authorize 
such an act. For this reason, Ching-tang con- 



154 SHANG DYNASTY. 

stantly referred to the Judge of the universe ; 
others, however, have done the same thing with 
much less justice. He commenced his reign 
with a solemn sacrifice, and again invoked 
Heaven. 

During his reign occurred a drought, which 
lasted seven years. Streams and rivers were 
dried up, and the whole soil was parched. Peo- 
ple ascribed this calamity to certain demons, 
who grasped the clouds in their hands, and 
thereby prevented the falling of the rain. Not- 
withstanding the scantiness of the harvest, 
none were reduced to starvation ; for Tang had so 
admirably regulated affairs, that there was always 
a quantity of grain remaining in the store-houses. 
He had also diminished the taxes, and en- 
couraged the people to be zealous in the culti- 
vation of the arid ground, the produce being en- 
tirely their own. When, however, after long 
waiting, no rain fell. Tang consulted with his mi- 
nisters, and went out in procession to a moun- 
tain, without the pageant of monarchy. Here he 
entreated Heaven not to punish the nation, be- 
cause of his offences. He freely acknowledged 
his transgressions, and rain descended imme- 
diately in showers. His acts of benevolence, 
after so signal a proof of the merciful interpo- 
sition of Providence, were very numerous ; the 
people were astonished at his unwearied bene- 



SHANG DYNASTY. 155 

volence, and Tang was called the well-beloved 
sovereign. 

1753. Tae-kea, his successor, was chosen 
emperor by E-yin, the celebrated minister, who 
had aided Tang in conquering the empire. At 
his coronation, E-yin convoked the states, and 
whilst praising the virtues of thie illustrious an- 
cestors of the young king, he addressed the 
prince in the following manner : — " The first 
emperors of the Hea dynasty were celebrated 
for their virtue ; Heaven did not, therefore, visit 
them with any calamity ; their posterity dege- 
nerated, and righteous Heaven, in chastisement 
of their crimes, transferred the empire to your 
family. Your majesty is the heir of the virtues 
of your ancestors ; imitate them by being care- 
fill in promoting love between relations, and re- 
spect towards superiors. Begin to practise this 
in your own family, and end by promoting it 
throughout the four seas." Tae-kea having 
heard this admonition, bowed his head, and 
said : '' I, a little child, am not well versed in 
the practice of virtue ; I am unsettled, and can- 
not keep the measure ; I offend heedlessly, and 
rush into crimes." He spoke the truth. Being 
prone to vice, he refused any longer to listen to 
the wise intructions of E-yin, who, when he 
saw that mere words were of no effect, took 
Tae-kea prisoner, and confined him in the cata- 



166 SHANG DYNASTY 

combs of hfs ancestors. Here he was ii 
with his wife and concubines, and had sufficient 
time to bewail his errors, to repent, and to form 
good resolutions, having his deceased parent 
ccmstantly before him. When he had duly re- 
formed, after many years of repentance, he was 
restored to his throne, and died in 1721 b. c. 

In the reign of Wuh-ting, the faithful E-yin 
died, 1713. The greatest honours were be- 
stowed upon him, and his funeral was celebrated 
with all the pomp due to a sovereign. He left 
a disciple, Kew-tan, who was instructed in all 
the branches of administration, and proved wor- 
thy of so great a master. During the reigns of 
the emperors Tae-kang, Seaou-kea, and Yung- 
ke, nothing remarkable happened ; but the vi- 
gour of the Shang princes greatly decayed. 
Tae-woo, who ascended the throne in 1637 b. c. 
was greatly grieved at the loss of all authority. 
Two trees grew up within one night, the stems 
increased to a considerable thickness in seven 
days, and in other three days decayed. Greatly 
astonished at such an extraordinary event, he 
consulted two of his ministers. E-chi, who was 
one of them, answered : — " Calamity may be 
averted by governing virtuously, and by affec- 
tionately cherishing the people." Tae-woo did 
not forget this lesson, and thenceforth paid no 
attention to omens, but contented himself with 



SHAN6 9YNASTY. 157 

governing well. He erected hospitalst or alms- 
houses for the aged, where they were very well 
provided for; prevented the mandarins from 
oppressing the people; and thus established 
his authority upon a firm basis — the love of 
his subjects. 

During the reign of Chung-tang, extending 
firom 1562 to 1548 b. c, the barbarians made 
great inroads into the empire, and were with 
difficulty subdued. The frequent inundations 
of the Yellow River, compelled him to remove his 
capital to the province of Honan. The reigns 
of Wae-jin, 1534 b. c, Ho-tan-kea, 1525 b c, 
Tsoo-yih, 1525 b. c, Tsoo-sin, 1506, b. c, Wuh- 
kea, 1490 b. c.,Tsoo-ting, 1465 b. c, Nan*kang, 
1433 B. c, and of Yang*kea, 1408 b. c, were so 
inglorious as scarcely to deserve our notice. 

Pwan-kang made a desperate effort to crush 
the insolence of the mandarins, and to free the 
people from constant oppression. He removed 
the capital to the Yin district in Honan, and 
changed the name of the dynasty to Yin. The 
people were reluctant to remove to a new place 
of abode, but the sagacious remarks of the 
emperor greatly contributed to lead them into 
obedience. Seaou-sin, the successor of Pwan* 
kang, subverted the good institutions which his 
brother had introduced. He was a prince, who 
lived entirely for his pleasure, and greatly con- 



158 SHANO DYNASTY. 

tributed to hasten the ruin of the country, 
successor, Seaou-yih, i/vas likewise an indolent 
and worthless prince, who ascended the throne 
in 1352. But whilst the Shang family decayed, 
there arose another dynasty, which very soon 
restored the empire to its former lustre. Koo- 
kung, the patriarch of his family, who was a 
descendant of the former emperors, removed 
from his native country, Pin, to Ke, in Shense 
province. His good government attracted crowds 
of people from all quarters, to reside under so 
wise and lenient a ruler. Koo-kang established 
regular tribunals to facilitate the affairs of go- 
vernment ; all his institutions bespeak his great 
wisdom ; he was a prince so generally beloved, 
that the whole empire looked up to him. With- 
in a short time, the number of inhabitants of 
his new founded city amounted to 300,000. 

Woo-ting began to reign in 1324 b. c. He 
had a wise minister, to whom he entirely en- 
trusted the affairs of the empire, and withdrew 
himself from the administration of government. 
When the time of mourning for his parent had 
expired, the officers of state requested him to 
resume his authority ; but he refused to follow 
their advice, unless some sage minister were at 
his side to guide his counsels. Whilst his whole 
mind was taken up with a consciousness of his 
incapacity to rule, he dreamt that he saw a man, 



SHANG DYNASTY. 159 

capable of filling the post of prime minister. 
The image of this great man, whom he had 
seen in a dream, being deeply impressed upon 
his mind, he drew it, and sent some of his offi- 
cers in search of this extraordinary personage. 
As might have been expected, it was some time 
before they found him ; but at last, chance 
brought them in contact with a mason, whom 
they thought capable of rebuilding the state, 
and conducted him to the emperor, who imme- 
diately recognised him, as the man he had seen 
in his dream. Woo- ting, struck with this mar- 
vellous event, and recognising the will of Hea- 
ven in bringing to him so wise a man, addressed 
him, in the presence of all his ministers, in the 
following manner : — '* I appoint you my prime 
minister ; teach me constantly what I ought to 
know ; be to me what a whetstone is to iron, an 
oar to a boat, a shower in a drought. Commu- 
nicate to me the treasures which your heart con- 
tains ; hide from me nothing, and never hesitate 
to blame me. If a medicine does not a little in- 
dispose a sick man, and cause head-ache, how 
can the patient be restored?" Foo-yue gave 
his sage advice, which occupies many pages of 
the Shoo-king. We are rather astonished to 
find in a mason so thorough a knowledge* of 
political affairs, but still more, how so long 
a speech could be transmitted by tradition to 



160 SHANQ DYNASTY. 

posterity. No doubt, Confucius took great li- 
berties in composing the history of olden times. 
However this may be, Foo-yue kept his word, 
and not only gave good advice, but succeeded 
also in the execution of all useful measures. 
During this reign the first ambassadors arrived 
from an unknown country, in order to do homage 
to the Son of Heaven. Under all the celebrated 
emperors, the adjacent barbarian states sent an 
annual tribute as a token of their vassalage. If 
they refused, they were considered as rebels, 
and the emperor sent an army against them. 
In process of time, the celestial empire ex- 
tended its views, and considered all nations, 
though their existence were unknown, as its 
vassals. Hence their pretensions to tribute and 
subjection to their authority. 

Woo-ting reigned in peace, and received after 
his death the honourable name of Kaou-tsung. 
His son, Tsoo-kang, began to reign in 1265, and 
was an idle and vicious prince ; whose younger 
brother, Tsoo-kea, however, was still worse. In 
consequence, the Shang dynasty declined more 
and more in political importance. During the 
reign of this prince was born the celebrated 
Wan-wang, father of the founder of the Chow 
dynasty, and grandson of Koo-kung. The state 
increased continually in prosperity, and the 
people became more and more attached to the 



SHANG DYNASTY. 161 

Chow family. Two worthless princes, Lin- sin, 
1223 B. c, and Kang-ting, 1219 b. c, the suc- 
cessors of Tsoo-kea, rendered the Shang family 
still more despicable. Woo-yih, who ascended 
the throne in 1198 b. c, feared neither Heaven 
nor man. He removed the capital to Ho-pih, 
in Honan. On his way thither, he discovered 
a statue, and used his power of canonization 
to bestow upon it the rank of an idol. But 
finding that his prayers were not answered, 
he grew enraged, and destroyed it. Imagining 
that the Deity would not listen to his supplica- 
tions, he discharged a great many arrows towards 
the azure heavens, and by suspending several 
vessels of blood, which were so contrived as to 
let the fluid out, he persuaded the people of his 
having hit and wounded the object of his wrath. 
For this impiety, he was struck dead by light- 
ening. The people, in the meanwhile rebelled, 
whilst the Chow family grew more and more 
popular. It was under this reign, that some 
malcontents, wearied with numerous oppres- 
sions, emigrated from China to the adjacent isles, 
— ^perhaps Japan. 

Tae-ting, his successor, being anxious to re- 
form abuses, employed the Chow family in the 
highest stations of government ; but he himself 
was a weak prince. His son, Te-yih, greatly 
resembled his father. Wan-wang, the father of 

VOL. I. M 



162 SHAN6 DYNASTY. 

the celebrated Woo-vrang, was his prime minis- 
ter. To this man was confided all the cares of 
government, and he did not betray the high 
confidence reposed in him. During the reign 
of this prince there happened an earthquake, 
which being felt in the territory of Chow, the 
people considered it an evil omen, intimating* 
that the ruin of Shang was decreed by Heaven. 
Chow-sin, the last emperor of this family, 
ascended the throne in 1134 b. c. He was na- 
turally of a cruel and restless disposition. Be- 
ing a man of powerful mind and strong passions, 
he very soon excelled in all kinds of wicked- 
ness. The endeavour to put any restraint on 
his violent passions, was without avail ; and his 
vices were rather nourished by Tan-ke, an in- 
famous, but beautiful woman. Every vice found 
in her an advocate and promoter. She imitated 
the shameless concubine of Kee, by publicly 
exhibiting the most abominable scenes of de* 
bauchery. There was a garden of stags, splen- 
didly adorned, where these orgies of lust were 
nightly celebrated. But her cruelty was still 
greater than her licentiousness. Seeing that 
the court and the whole family had fallen into 
contempt, she inveighed against the lightness 
of punishments ; and, to remedy the evil, made an 
iron vessel, which, when heated red-hot, the cri- 
minal was obliged to hold in his hands till they 



SHANG DYNASTY. 163 

were roasted. She also erected a brass pillar, 
which being greased or daubed with unctuous 
matter, and made slippery, was laid over a fire. 
Across this pillar the criminal was compelled 
to walk, until, after many vain efforts, he fell 
into the flames, which afforded the greatest de- 
light to Tan-ke. 

The emperor Chow was equally ferocious. 
He ripped up the belly of a female, that he 
might behold the foetus in the womb ; and with 
bis own hands murdered a lady, who refused 
to comply with his inordinate desires. On a cold 
morning, seeing several persons walking over 
the ice, he thought them very hardy, and or- 
dered their legs to be cut off, that he might in- 
spect the marrow of their bones. Wan-wang» 
his minister, the father of Woo-wang, remon- 
strating against these enormities, was thrown 
into prison, where he perfected the Yih-king, 
the symbolical book of the Chinese. His son, 
Woo-wang, greatly dejected at the sufferings 
inflicted on his father, sent a beautiful female 
to the tyrant, who, captivating him with her 
charms, procured the liberty of the minister. 
When several governors had taken up arms to 
rid themselves of such a monster, Wan-wang 
opposed their design, and re-established the 
peace of the empire. Having arrived at a very 
old age, he called to him Se-pih Fa, his son 

m2 



164 SHANG DYNASTY. 

(afterwards Woo-wang), and said :^ ^' I am about 
to die ; remember the last words of your father; 
there are three things, which I wish to recom- 
mend to you. When there is an opportunity 
for doing well, do not postpone it ; be anxious 
to correct your own faults, and be indulgent to- 
wards others ; when there is occasion for acting, 
act : — this is the foundation of virtue/' Wan- 
wang is greatly celebrated in the classical odes 
of China, were his wisdom is highly extolled 
and reconunended. There is still a picture of 
his observatory extant. 

The grandees in Honan province very soon 
revolted. Woo-wang marched against them; 
but instead of finding them hostile, they earnestly 
besought him to free the people from such a 
worthless prince. Woo-wang now began, though 
with some hesitation, to yield to their wishes. 
The rumour of a general defection spread ra- 
pidly. Tsoo-e, a faithful adherent, admonished 
the emperor to oppose the rebellion ; Chow 
laughed at the idea of being terrified by vain 
reports. Pe-kan, Chow's faithful minister, 
frankly reproved the prince for his lethargy ; 
Chow did not forget it. " I have heard," he 
said, '' that a sage's heart has seven apertures ; 
Pe-kan considers himself a sage ; " and he had 
ihe heart of Pe-kan immediately torn out, in or- 
der to inspect it. As Ke-tsze, another minister, 



SHANG DYNASTY. 165 

did not approve of this crael treatment of his 
colleague, he was degraded to the rank of a 
slave, and confined in a close prison, where he 
feigned madness. 

Woo-wang's patience was finally exhausted. 
He ojQfered a great sacrifice to Shang-te, in- 
voked Heaven as a witness of the justice of their 
cause, and became the leader of the rebellious 
nobles, who were already in arms, 1122 b. c. 
The speeches he delivered on this occasion, are 
given at full length in the Shoo-king. By these 
the courage of his soldiers being raised to the 
highest pitch, they all joined in expressing their 
wish to second Woo-wang in overthrowing the 
tyrant. At the dawn of day the two armies 
came in sight of each other, at Muh-yay ; for 
Chow, when he finally learnt that Woo-wang was 
in earnest, had brought together an innumera- 
ble army, whose spears appeared like a forest 
of trees. Woo-wang, with a steady pace, made 
the attack ; the imperial troops were thrown into 
disorder, one regiment pressing upon another, 
till a general confusion ensued, in which so many 
were slain, according to the Shoo-king, that the 
blood flowed like rivulets. Chow-sin, thinking 
every thing lost, fled into the palace, and after hav- 
ing adorned himself, like another Sardanapalus, 
with precious stones, set the whole pile on fire. 
His son, Woo-kang, went forth to meet Woo- 



166 SHAITG DYNASTY. 

wang, riding chained in a cart, with a coffin at 
his side. The conqueror received him kindly, 
freed him from his chains, and burnt the coffin. 
Tan-ke, fearing for her life, put on her best 
ornaments, and proceeded towards the enemy, 
in the hope of enchanting the victor by her 
charms. On the way, she was met by the sol- 
diers of Woo-wang, who had been sent to ex- 
tinguish the fire in the palace. The officers 
arrested and chained her, and she was executed, 
according to Woo-wang's orders, as the cause of 
all the evils infficted on the empire.* 

* See the Hea-Shang-ho-cbuen, a yery amusing work little 
known. — Shoo-king, yol. i. Sze-ma-tseen, yol. i. ; Kang- 
keen-e-che, yol. i. ; and^ de Mailla's Histoire Geoerale de la 
Chine. 



167 



CHAPTER VIIL 



CHOW DYNASTY. 
FROM 1122 — 240 B. C. 

Before Woo-wang (the martial king) seized 
the reins of government, he consulted Lew- 
chang, an experienced minister, who had fled 
from the tyrant, in order to save his life. This 
sage entirely approved of his measure, and 
quieted the fears of the people, who had escaped 
in terror to the mountains. When he entered 
the capital in triumph, preat crowds thronged 
to see their new sovereign. His noble appear- 
ance, united with great affability, won the hearts 
of all spectators. In the imperial palace he 
found immense treasure, which he distributed 
among the soldiers. The great number of wo- 
men, who were confined in the harem, he sent 
back to their families ; and, in order to conci- 
liate all parties, he issued a proclamation, de- 
claring, that he was not come to abolish the 
good institutions of Shang, but to establish 
them mor^ firmly. Wishing to show plainly. 



168 CHOW DYNASTY. 

that he had not waged war with the family of 
Shang, but rather with its vices and vicious 
princes, he employed Woo-kang, Chow-sin's 
son, as governor of a district. But he com- 
mitted one great error, which had the most 
baneful consequences, by instituting, or rather 
re-establishing, the five orders of nobility, and al- 
lotting them so much land as was sufficient for 
their maintenance. This measure was produc- 
tive of all the evils of the feudal system, which 
disturbed the welfare of the country for many 
centuries. But had he stopt here, the evil might 
have been less. He was, however, misguided 
by a false generosity, and hoped, by bestowing 
large principalities upon his own relations and 
the descendants of the former emperors, to at- 
tach them to his person. Accordingly there 
arose seventy-one governments, which very 
soon rendered themselves independent, and 
waged war against each other. China thus 
suffered from the same evil, which has deso- 
lated Germany for many centuries. 

The man, who had shed tears over the grave 
of Pan-ke, was anxious to imitate the wisdom 
of that minister, whose fate he deeply deplored. 
All his utensils, his walls and avenues, he in- 
scribed with wise maxims, that he might be con- 
stantly incited to the practice of virtue. The 
Chinese have still this practice of posting up in 



CHOW DYNASTY. 169 

their rooms moral sentences ; however, tjbe most 
impressive sayings often loose their influence 
upon the heart, and are only retained on paper. 

Woo-wang was not able to reconcile all par- 
ties. Two faithful servants of Shang chose 
rather to starve in a desert, than come over to 
their new sovereign. Another prince, or rather 
minister, called Ke-tsze, preferred living in exile 
in Korea to the office of prime minister, because 
he was attached to Shang, and could not serve 
him, who had subverted the dynasty. When he 
afterwards visited China, he found the capital of 
Shang forsaken, so that the grass grew in the 
streets ; for Woo-wang had removed the court to 
Haou in Shense. He wept over this desolation, 
and made some verses to commemorate it. 

When the barbarians heard, that so wise a 
prince sat upon the throne, they sent tribute, 
tendering their submission. Amongst the rari- 
ties were some large dogs. Woo-wang's brother 
blamed the emperor for receiving such useless 
articles, and the ambassadors were ordered to 
bring henceforth only useful things to the court. 

He had also his weaknesses. When he was 
dangerously ill, he consulted the destinies for his 
recovery, instead of praying to that God, who 
had placed him upon the throne. 

Ching-wang, his son, was still very young, 
when he was called to the throne, 1 115 b. c. To 



170 CHOW DYNASTY. 

fit him for so high a station, Chow*kuDg, the 
brother of Woo-wang, was intrusted with his 
education ; who laid down, in a treatise written 
on purpose, all the wise maxims, which can 
form the mind of a young prince. He was in- 
structed in all the arts, and in the use of arms. 
His conduct was narrowly watched ; even in his 
retirement he was not freed from strict surveil- 
lance. His outward manners were strictly formed 
according to the rules of Chinese etiquette. To 
influence his heart by example, Chow-kung re- 
cited the lives of the most celebrated heroes in 
verse, which his pupil learnt by heart. But 
notwithstanding the faithfulness, wherewith he 
fulfilled his duty as a guardian, three other 
brothers of Woo-wang, who possessed lai^e 
principalities, and envied the ascendancy which 
Chow*kung had obtained over their nephew, 
blackened his character so, that this excellent 
man was obUged to withdraw from court. Shortly 
afterwards a violent tempest destroyed the har- 
vest, which was almost ripe. The young em- 
peror examined the records of his predecessors, 
in order to find out what they had done under 
similar circumstances. The first paper which 
fell into his hands, stated the devotion of Chow* 
kung, who had been ready to sacrifice his life 
for Woo-wang when he was on the point of 
death. Struck with this extraordinary instance 



CHOW DTNASTY. 171 

of attachmentt he hastened to the retreat of 
Chow-kQDg, and brought him back to the court. 
The heavens again became serene, and all na- 
ture revived. Meanwhile the three uncles of 
Ching-wang had joined Woo-kang, the son of 
the tyrant Chow-sin, and risen in open rebel- 
lion. The emperor, convinced of the goodness of 
his cause, appealed to Heaven, and led forth his 
soldiers to battle. Several of his vassals, plot- 
ting with the rebels, had attacked the princi- 
pality Loo, where a son of Chow-kung reigned ; 
but however numerous were their armies, they 
were speedily routed, and entirely dispersed. All 
had to sue for mercy. The emperor, indulging 
his clemency, only gave orders for the execu- 
tion of Woo-kang, and bestowed his govern- 
ment upon the brother of Chow-sin. One of 
the emperor's uncles died ; the other was impri 
soned for life ; one of the rebellious governors 
was exiled, and another decapitated. With the 
view of putting an end to faction, the emperor 
removed all the people, who were still attached 
to the Shang dynasty, into a distant district, 
and built for theii^ the city Lo-yang. After 
having addressed to them some very pithy ex- 
hortations, which the Shoo-king has preserved, 
he dismissed them in peace. Whilst on a hunt, 
he exacted an oath of fidelity from all the tribu- 
tary princes ; gave them his instructions ; in- 



172 CHOW DYNASTY. 

stituted several new tribunals; and inculcated 
the strictest justice and the utmost vigilance, 
as the means of consolidating the happiness of 
the state. We ought to praise the solidity of 
these injunctions, which are the best proof of 
an enlightened policy. Even our rulers in Eu- 
rope might study these to great advantage in 
the Shoo-king. 

The fame of so wise and great a prince pene- 
trating to the utmost comers of the earth, there 
arrived ambassadors from a country to the south 
of Tunkin, perhaps from Cochin-china ; and 
when the emperor inquired the reason which 
had brought them thither, they answered, that 
Heaven having granted them, during the space 
of three years, favourable weather, without 
wind, tempest, or unseasonable rain, they 
were now in search of the cause of all these 
favours ; and as so excellent a prince sat upon 
the throne of China, they ought to consider him 
as the man on whose account Heaven had con- 
ferred all these blessings. Ching-wang, pleased 
with this gross and impious flattery, ushered 
them into the hall of ances|;ors, and presented 
them, amongst other things, with five chariots, 
which contained a box-compass, to show them 
the route they ought to take in returning to 
their own country. This statement, though seri- 
ously given by the Chinese, is evidently fabu- 



CHOW DYNASTY. 173 

lous. Having arrived in the states of Foo-nan 
and lin-jdh, they embarked, and reached within 
the space of one year their own country. 

After a lapse of some time, the emperor visited 
Lo-yang, where the inhabitants had entirely 
changed their opinion in regard to their new 
master, — all being satisfied at his paternal go- 
yernment, and willingly submitting to it. When 
he had lost his faithful minister, Chow-kung, 
he was inconsolable, but very soon found an- 
other man, who ably seconded the efforts of his 
master. It was he who brought metal money 
into circulation, which, up to the present mo- 
ment, is in use. Instead of being stamped, it is 
cast with a square hole in the middle, by means 
of which a number are strung together ; this 
money bears the name of the emperor, under 
whose reign it is coined. The Manchoo Tatars 
add, in their national character, the name of 
the place where it is coined, or rather cast. 
Every province may issue money to a certain 
amount, according to the Peking standard. 
False coiners are punished with death, yet their 
number is so very great, that the value of the 
coin is continually depreciating. 

Ching-wang reigned long and happy. When 
he was near his death, he called his minis- 
ters around him, and recommended to their spe- 
cial care his son, Kang-wang, who ascended the 



174 CHOW DYNASTT. 

throne of China, in 1078 b. c. His first act of go- 
vernment was the splendid celebration of the late 
emperor's funeraL The most gorgeous pomp and 
pageantry were exhibited before the nobles of 
the empire, in order to show the deep grief and 
boundless esteem entertained for the departed 
monarch. Kang-wang's simple dress, however, 
formed a striking contrast to this empty osten- 
tation. His reign was peaceful and happy. 
Chaou-wang, his son, who succeeded him, 1052 
B. c, gave himself entirely up to hunting; and not 
only neglected the afPairs of the state, but like- 
wise oppressed the nation. The consequence^^ 
very soon became visible. Some of the tribu- 
tary princes began to wage war against each 
other, and Chaou-wang did not interfere. The 
people south of the Yellow River, displaying 
symptoms of rebellion, Chaou-wang collected an 
army, and marched against them, when he was 
suddenly seized by his passion for hunting. 
Having indulged in it to excess, and laid waste 
the country around, he had to cross a bridge, 
built by the reluctant peasants, who saw their 
harvest destroyed for his princely pastime. When 
he was in the midst of it, it broke down, and he 
and his whole train were drowned, to the great 
joy of his groaning subjects. Muh-wang, his 
son, who succeeded him, 1001 b. c, promised 
at first very fair; but soon relapsed into the 



CHOW DYNASTY. 175 

vices of his father. Fond of horsemanship, he 
made long excursions even as far as to the 
sources of the Yellow River, where he spent 
the greater part of his time. The Tatars, of the 
lesser Bukharia, observing the little attention he 
paid to the administration of public affairs, 
grew bold, and passed the frontiers. Muh- 
wang, pleased at having at length found an op- 
portunity of signalizing his valour, marched with 
a numerous force into the desert; but the Ta- 
tars, having wisely retreated, the disappointed 
^nperor found nothing to contend with but wild 
beasts. This is the first mention made in history 
of these Tatars, the scourge of China, and of 
the whole western world. 

So inauspicious an expedition cooled the war- 
like ardour of the emperor, who began to repent, 
though he was slow to reform. However, to 
leave behind him some monument of his since- 
rity, he pronounced, when near his end, a speech, 
full of wise maxims of government, which he 
would have done better to have practised during 
life-* 

Kung-wang, who ascended the throne 946 
B.C., was already an old man when he began 

* The reader, desirous of consulting these ancient specimens 
of Chinese eloquence, will find them in the Shoo-king, vol. iii., 
of Gaubirs excellent translation, which considerably improves 
upon the original. 



176 CHOW DYNASTY. 

• 

to reign, but his old age did not secure him 
against folly. The appearance of three beauti- 
ful young ladies having captivated his imagina- 
tion, he forgot his station as emperor, and when 
they were removed from his sight by their fa- 
ther, the governor of a city, his peace was gone ; 
he sought them to no purpose ; and, in order to 
give vent to his indignation at having been so 
sorely disappointed, burned Meih, the birth- 
place of the ladies, and razed it to the ground. 
After this cruel, unprecedented act, however, 
which exhausted his princely fury, he reigned 
peaceably, doing neither good nor bad. 

E-wang, who ascended the throne in 934 b.c, 
was an indolent prince. Even the satires, which 
were in the mouths of all people, and sung 
through the streets, could not rouse him from 
his indijQference. Heaou-wang, his brother, had 
the same fault. God visited the country by 
hailstones, but he did not repent. He died in 
894 B.C., leaving the empire to E-wang, the 
son of E-wang (names differently written in 
Chinese). He inherited all the faults of his 
father, and suffered the tributary princes, whose 
number he unhappily increased, to ravage the 
country. These great lords became more and 
more daring, scarcely respecting the authority 
of the emperor himself; and though Le-wang, 
his son, was by no means deficient in spirit and 



CHOW DVNASTV. 177 

determination, yet he did not possess the phy- 
sical power requisite to carry on so great a 
work, as the humbling of so many insolent and 
powerful nobles. 

We have already remarked, that Woo-wang 
introduced, to a great extent, the feudal system. 
Many of these states rose within a short time 
to great importance ; we mention a few of the 
more powerful : — Loo, which comprised a part 
of Shan-tung, the present Yen-choo-foo, the na- 
tive country of Confucius ; Tse, the other half 
of Shan-tung ; Chin, in Honan ; Tsoo, in Hoo- 
kwang; Tsaou, likewise in Shan-tung; Han, in 
Shense ; Yen, in Pih-chih-le ; Woo, in Keang- 
soo ; Sung, now Kwei-tih-foo, in Honan ; and 
Tsin, in Shanse, with several others. Many 
of these princes rendered themselves quite in- 
dependent and usurped the regal prerogatives : 
their quarrels were incessant, and their detach- 
ed governments proved the bane of the empire. 
It would be endless to recount all their feuds ; 
we shall, therefore, only speak of them when 
they exercise an influence on the general his- 
tory of China. 

Under the reign of Le*wang the evil in- 
creased. This prince was solely engaged in 
amassing riches. Shwuy-leang-foo, an officer 
of high rank, remonstrated, by saying : ''A 
prince who takes by force the property of his 

VOL. I. N 



178 CHOW DYNASTY. 

subjects ought to be considered as a common 
robber, and the whole world will forsake him." 
Le-wang was deaf to these exhortations ; ** the 
only thing I want," thought he, ** is money ; fill 
my treasuries, and I am satisfied." To gratify 
his thirst for gold, he created Yung-e-kung his 
treasurer. This man, who understood the art 
of living upon the sweat of the people, was in- 
defatigable in his oppression, and thus became 
the favourite of his avaricious master. The cry 
of the oppressed resounding throughout the 
empire, at length also reached the ears of the 
monarch himself. Anxious to discover the 
malcontents, he inquired their names ; but as 
Chaou-kung, his minister, refused to betray 
them, the emperor invited some magicians from 
the Wei state ; and all those who were pointed 
out to him by the sorcerers suffered death. 
The astounded people scarcely dared to whis- 
per; and Le-wang was filled with delight at 
having succeeded so well in stifling the voice of 
the people. Once a-day he met Chaou-kung, 
and exclaimed : *' Have I not well succeeded in 
stilling the complaints ? who dares now to open 
his mouth?" — "This," replied Chaoukung, " is 
nothing but a veil, which prevents you from 
knowing the innermost thoughts ; but remem- 
ber, that it is more perilous to stop the mouths 
of the people than to arrest the rapids of a tor- 



CHOW DYNASTY. 179 

rent. By restraining it, you will only cause it 
to flow over, and do the more injury. If you 
wish to prevent all damage, you ought to dig a 
large bed, which can contain all the water. In 
the same way, those who are charged with go- 
verning the people ought to grant them liberty of 
speech. That emperor may be said to under- 
stand the art of government who permits poets 
to make whatever verses they please, and to 
enjoy their harmless pastime ; who sufiers his- 
torians to speak the truth; ministers to give 
their advice ; labourers to talk about their work, 
and the nation to speak freely. Thus all things 
will prosper. The tongues of the people are 
like the mountains and rivers, from whence we 
dig our riches, and obtain the necessaries of 
life."* 

We have merely given the substance of this 
excellent speech, which places the liberty of the 
press, and, in fact, the true liberty of a country, 
in its proper light. Le-wang may furnish us 
with a useful comment upon this saying. He 
despised the advice of his minister, and con- 
tinued to treat words and thoughts as criminal. 
The people, who could no longer bear this in- 
quisitorial tyranny, at length broke into the 
imperial palace ; but the emperor escaped, and 
disappointed the fury of the populace. Highly 

* Sec Yih-sze, Chap. xx?ii. 
N 2 



J80 CHOW DYNASTY. 

indignant that the victim of their rage had 
escaped, they demanded from Chaou-kung the 
young son of the emperor, who was concealed in 
his palace. Chaou-kung hesitated ; but finding 
no alternative, he delivered his own son in the 
prince's stead, and thus, by a peerless magna- 
nimity, saved the life of the child.* The popu- 
lace tore the child to pieces, and left the palace 
highly delighted with their exploit. Le-wang 
fled, and ended his life in an ignominious exile. 
During the time of Le-wang's exile, two mi- 
nisters had governed the empire. As soon as 
the death of Le-wang was known, his son, 
Seuen-wang, ascended the throne, 827 b. c, 
New calamities threatened the empire. The 
young prince had to encounter the inveterate 
enemies of the Chinese, the Tatars, who having 
grown powerful during the long interregnum, 
attacked the frontiers with great success He 
sent against them some valiant generals, who 
drove the enemy back to their country. Be- 
sides, great drought afflicted the land, occasion- 
ing much misery. Notwithstanding all these 

* Could any reliance be placed on such a relation, which is, 
probably, altogether fabulous, instead of presenting us with an 
idea of magnanimity, it would excite our pity for the lament- 
able prejudice which could stifle in a father the voice of nature, 
and cause him to preserve the offspring of a tyrant at the ex- 
pense of his own son's life. 



CHOW DYNASTY. 181 

calamities, the tributary princes were continu- 
ally engaged in mutual wars, and laid the coun- 
try of their enemies desolate. The Tatars, who 
though repulsed, were not subdued, again ad- 
vanced to attack the western frontiers with a 
new swarm, determined to vanquish or perish. 
The Chinese general, Tsin-chung, confiding in 
his numbers, and despising his enemy, tried in 
vain to rout the Tatars ; for the Chinese, wea- 
ried with long exertion, soon fled, and were 
pursued, leaving thousands of their numbers 
upon the field of battle ; and amongst them, the 
celebrated general Tsin-chung. The news of the 
defeat caused universal consternation. However, 
the five sons of the slain general, burning to re* 
venge the death of their father, furiously attacked 
the Tatars, who had become overweening and 
negligent. The contest was most sanguinary, but 
finally the Tatars were driven out of the field, 
and fell under the arrows and swords of the 
pursuing Chinese. Not content with this vic- 
tory, they overran the country of their enemies, 
burning and slaughtering all before them. 

The ancient custom of ploughing the field at 
the commencement of the spring, which the 
Chinese emperors generally observe, was en- 
tirely neglected by Seuen-wang, who, notwith- 
standing the earnest entreaties of his ministers, 
refused to undergo such a hardship; yet his 



182 CHOW DTNASTY. 

consort, a very spirited woman, reclaimed him 
from his indolence by a stratagem. The em- 
peror, now aroused, wished to signalize himself 
by terminating the feuds of his vassals ; in which, 
however, he was only partly successful. A 
pitched battle, which he again fought against 
the Tatars, whose sole professicm was war, was 
entirely lost, and he scarcely escaped with his 
life; but the injury of this defeat was re- 
paired by his faithful subjects, who, bringing 
another army into the field, repulsed the Ta- 
tars. This prince, growing more morose after 
so many disasters, and wishing to rid himself of 
a certain courtier, condemned him for a sup- 
posed crime ; and one of his friends interposing, 
and showing the injustice of the case, the en- 
raged emperor caused both to be executed. 
The son of one of them, called See-shoo, fled 
towards the Tsin state, where new troubles 
arose and disturbed the peace of the country. 
When Seuen-wang heard the news, he died of 
vexation. 

Yew-waug was his successor. He was a 
prince very like his ancestors, indolent, and given 
up to pleasure. When his wrath was kindled 
against a rebel subject, and he was upon the 
point of executing vengeance, the rebel made 
him a present of his daughter Paou-sze, fair 
and wicked, likeTan-ke. To gratify this harpy. 



CHOW DYNASTY. 183 

he divorced his own wife, and set aside the heir 
of the crown. Notwithstanding, the highest gra- 
tification of her wishes which Paou-sze daily 
enjoyed, could never render her cheerful ; she 
remained morose. Her husband contrived se- 
veral means to make her smile, but all to no 
purpose ; finally he made the signal of general 
alarm, by lighting fires upon the mountains. 
The tributary princes and ofiicers of govern- 
ment, as was customary, repaired hastily to- 
wards the palace to inquire concerning the 
public calamity. Here they were greeted by 
the laughter of Paou-sze, who was amused at 
seeing all the great officers thronging towards 
the palace to no purpose. The emperor de- 
spised the satires circulated to blame his shame- 
ful conduct, in neglecting all business and giv- 
ing himself over to the whims of a worthless 
woman. The Jung-Tatars again began their 
incursions, and even took the prince of Tse pri- 
soner ; the people groaned under the burden of 
oppressors, who had grown very numerous ; and 
besides, the heavens showed very inauspicious 
signs, the earth trembled, and starvation reigned. 
To crown the whole. Yew- wang marched against 
the state of Shin, because his eldest, disin- 
herited son, had taken refuge at that court. 
The prince of Shin, seeing that he was unable 
to resist the imperial forces, called in the help 



184 



CHOW DYNASTY. 



of the barbarians. When the emperor saw 
he speedily made the i^gnal for succour ; but his 
vassals did not appear, apprehensive of being 
again disappointed and held up as an object 
of ridicule. Despised and forsaken by all, he 
was slain by the Tatars, and his much-beloved 
Paou*sze suffered a similar fate. 

Ping*wang, the son of the last emperor, 
ascended the throne by the aid of the prince of 
Tsin, 770 b. c. From the time of this prince, 
a period not many years before the institution 
of the Grecian Olympiads,* the chronology of 
China is no longer liable to great errors, and the 
calculation is carried on very regularly. He is 
the last emperor whom the Shoo-king men- 
tions, the last chapters of which are entirely 
taken up with the history of the petty 
princes. 

The most pressing business was to get rid of 
the Tatars, his allies, against whom he had to 
fight a very bloody battle. The hordes who 
lived in Turkestan and little Bukharia (the pre- 
sent government of Ele) lusted as much as the 
Sarmathians and Goths after the fertile plains 
of their neighbours. Desirous of procuring for 

* The true era of the Olympiads commences with the re- 
institution of the games by Iphitus, 884 b. c, but they were 
comparatively neglected until the year 776b. c, when Conebus 
obtained the victory.— MarsA. Can. Chron. 4to. p. 449. 



CHOW DYNASTV. 186 

themselves the luxuries of life without toil, they 
always found a pretext for invading the terri- 
tories -of their weaker, but richer neighbours. 
It were useless to describe all the ravages they 
committed, and the brutal cruelties they exer- 
cised towards the defenceless Chinese. To free 
himself from these unbidden guests, the empe- 
ror gave the greater part of the imperial demesne 
of Chaou to the prince of Tsin, under pretence 
of bestowing upon him a reward for his great 
services, but in reality that he might fight his 
battles against these ferocious savages. Seang- 
kung, a brave prince, who usurped to himself 
the imperial prerogative of ofiering sacrifices 
to Shang-te, had very soon an opportunity of 
showing his valour against the barbarians, who 
had overrun his country. His son, Wan-kung, 
improved the opportunity of extending his au- 
thority ; he had his own historians, and lived in 
complete independence. Such an example was 
soon followed by many other of his vassals, 
who, in the twenty-second year of Ping-wang, 
openly declared their independence. There 
were at that time twenty-one independent king- 
doms, the names of some of which have been 
enumerated. Ping-wang tried to establish his 
authority by alliances of blood, but these ce- 
mented friendships lasted only so long as it 
suited the convenience of the parties. The mise- 



186 CHOW DYNASTY. 

« 

ries entailed upon the country by these numerous 
hordes and masters were very great, but Ping- 
wang did not live to see the worst of them. He 
died in 720 b. c. Confucius dates his annals, 
the Chun-tsew, from its declaration of indepen- 
dence, 722 B. c. The solar eclipses which we 
find in this work coincide with our calcula- 
tions. 

Hwan-wang, the grandson of Ping-wang, 
ascended the throne peaceably; the tributary 
princes being so entirely taken up with their 
own affairs as not to concern themselves about 
what shadow of an emperor sat upon the throne. 
The capital of the empire had been removed 
to Lo-yang by Ping-wang; and the imperial 
treasury being greatly exhausted, did not fur- 
nish the means to Hwan-wang of following the 
bent of his mind, which was decidedly warlike. 
The history of his own unhappy times may be 
comprised in a few words — One prince waged 
war against another; the emperor, instead of 
pacifying these unruly spirits, only stirred up 
new strife; and the Tatars profited by these 
divisions. It is, however, unnecessary to de- 
scribe these quarrels and sanguinary combats. 
The same remark applies to the reigns of 
Chang- wang, 696 b. c. ; Le-wang, 681 b. c. ; 
Hwuy-wang, 676 b. c; and Seang-wang, 651 

B. c. 



CHOW DYNASTY. 187 

When Seang-kung, prince of Tsin,^ died (to- 
wards the close of Seang-wang's reign), his son 
was still very young, and Yung, his brother, was 
about to seize upon the crown, assisted by the 
powerful state of Tsin.* The queen-dowager, 
fearing both for her own life and that of her 
son, repaired to Chaou-mung, the head of 
Yung's faction, holding her son in her arms. 
" Have you forgotten," said she, whilst the tears 
ran down her cheeks, " the orders and prayers 
of your master? Did he not recommend to you, 
when at the point of death, his unhappy son, 
whom you wish to betray into the hands of the 
barbarian Yung? You promised to serve him 
as you did his father, Seang-kung, who died 
with this consoling hope, and now you wish to 
become his executioner ! Let the tears of his 
mother, let the remembrance of his father, touch 
your heart ! He has loved you, he has covered 
you with kindness : can you be the most cruel 
enemy of his son ?" Chaou-mung was deeply 
affected by this speech, and became the protec- 
tor of the young prince. Amidst the turmoils of 
war and indiscriminate slaughter, it is delight- 
ful to observe that the tears of a woman could 

* These are two different states, at enmity with each other. 
The latter is the one mentioned a little above, in the reign of 
Ping-wang, and which afterwards became supreme over the 
whole empire. 



188 CHOW DYNASTY. 

exercise so great a power over a hardened 
heart. 

King^wang, who began to rule in 61 8» was 
very much beloved on account of his good qua- 
lities ; but the affection of his people by no 
means proved an effectual barrier against the 
encroachments of his vassals. Kwang-wang 
was not unlike his father ; he possessed talents 
to rule over the whole empire, but without a 
shadow of power. He came upon the throne in 
61 2» and died in 607. During the reign of 
Ting-wang, his successor, the vassals grew tired 
of weeing continual wars, and resolved finally 
to enter into a confederation, in order to punish 
those refractory rebels who disturbed the public 
peace. Eleven states embraced this opportu- 
nity of pacifying the country. But even this 
league could not stem the torrent of dissension, 
and new quarrels and wars arose under the 
reign of Keen-wang, 583 b. c. Under ling- 
wang, his successor, who came to the throne in 
571, Confucius, the prince of Chinese philoso- 
phers, was bom, 552 b. c, in the city Tsow- 
yih, in the district of Chang-ping-hean'g, then 
belonging to the principality of Loo. His fa- 
ther, whose name was Shuh-leang-heih, came 
originally from the Sung state; his mother, 
Yen-she, bestowed upon him the name of 
E-kew (hillock), for the crown of his head was 



CHOW DYNASTY. 189 

a little elevated. The period of his birth was 
more peaceable than the foregoing ages. One 
of the greatest warriors, the prince of Choo, 
joined the confederation. It is necessary to 
give an impartial account of a man who has so 
greatly influenced the destinies of China in all 
the succeeding ages. We shall speak of his 
works which are still extant, and try to view 
his principles in a true light. Let us trace 
in all the work of the Most High, and adore 
his wisdom. The father of Confucius, who had 
been in high office in the state of Sung, was a 
descendant from Te-yih, the father of Chow-sin. 
He died when his son was only three years of 
age. 

Confucius, (in Chinese, Kung-fu-tsze) was the 
only son of his mother.^ She was descended 
from the illustrious Yen family, and outlived 
her husband twenty-one years. Even when a 
boy, he was very serious, and did not spend his 
days in idle play. At the age of fifteen, he 
applied himself successfully to the study of 
ancient records, which at that time were only 
to be met engraven upon bamboo. 

Desirous of turning his acquired knowledge 
to some advantage, he made good government 
the principal object of his solicitude; visited 
the different princes, and endeavoured to pre- 

* His father had several sons by another wife. 



190 CHOW DYNASTY. 

vail upon them to establish a wise and peaceful 
administration in their respective territories. 
His wisdom and birth recommended him to the 
patronage of the kings ; he was anxious to ap- 
ply his theory to practical government, but had 
to learn by sad experience that his designs were 
frequently thwarted. After many changes and 
disappointments, he became prime-minister in 
his native country, Loo, when fifty-five years of 
age. By his influence and prudent measures, 
the state of the kingdom underwent a thorough 
change within the space of three years. But 
the king of Tse, envious of the flourishing state 
of the Loo country, and fearing lest his rival, 
the king of Loo, might grow too powerful, sent 
some dancing-girls to the court who captivated 
the senses of the king of Loo ; and Confucius, 
after many vain remonstrances upon the danger 
of introducing these seductive females at court, 
quitted his situation. After having tried at 
three different courts to get employment, in 
order to render the people happy, he finally 
came to Chin, where he lived in great misery. 
From thence he returned again to Loo, but not 
to office. His great fame had attracted for him 
about three thousand disciples, but only ten 
were honoured with his intimacy. To them he 
taught the art of becoming virtuous, to discourse 
well, to understand the principles of good go- 



CHOW DYNASTY. 191 

vemment, and to express elegantly, by writing, 
the ideas of the mind. 

In a Yicious age, he became an object of 
scorn to many, who hated his rigid principles. 
He was CYen once in danger of being killed, but 
betrayed no fear. He was a man of very com- 
manding aspect, tall, and well-proportioned ; in 
his manners very decorous, kind to his inferiors, 
and temperate in his habits; so that his dis- 
ciples by his sole look were inspired with reve- 
rence. In his leisure hours he composed a part 
of the four classics; reduced the Yih-king to a 
system ; collected the odes ; compiled the Shoo- 
king and Chun-tsew, and gave a ceremonial 
code to his countrymen in the Le-ke. There 
are, besides, two other works, which treat upon 
filial piety, ascribed to him, viz. the Heaou- 
king and the Seaou-heo. 

When he was sick he did not wish that any 
body should pray for him, because he had him- 
self prayed. Whilst approaching his end, he 
deeply deplored the wretched state of his own 
country. His only regret was that his maxims 
were rejected ; he therefore exclaimed, *' I am 
no longer useful on earth ; it is necessary that I 
should leave it." Having said this, he died in 
his seventy-third year. His sepulchre was 
erected on the banks of the Soo river, where 
some of his disciples repairing to the spot, 
deplored the loss of their master. 



192 CHOW DYNASTY. 

We have had frequent occasion to mention 
the Shoo-king, which, in our opinion, is the 
best work of Confucius. It is a collection of 
old traditions which Confucius put in order, to 
give them the shape of a history. To teach 
moral lessons appears to be the great aim of 
this work. We find long speeches, which nei- 
ther tradition, nor even records, could have 
preserved. They are, moreover, so similar in 
character, that we suspect Confucius to be the 
author of them all, though he adapted the lead- 
ing points to the circumstances of the times. 
Some parts are utterly unintelligible, others are 
written with a pleasing concinnity, but noiie^ 
be called elegant. This is the only Chineseccap^ 
work wherein the doctrine of a Supreme Be- 
ing is taught. Even the word ^* heaven " seems, 
in the acceptation of the ancient Chinese, to 
have been often synonymous with God ; but we 
will not define their ideas, ^hich they them- 
selves never did. Thus much is certain, that 
their posterity understand invariably the mate- 
rial heaven, and laugh at the absurd idea oi a 
spiritual being, the God above all. We may 
consider this work as the source of all Chinese 
learning. All the institutions of tl^e country, the 
rudiments of their science, their moral philoso- 
phy, wisdom, prudence, political economy, and 
astronomy, are contained in nucleo in this work ; 



CHOW DYNASTY. 193 

even music finds its place. It is the great, text- 
book upon which all Chinese writers have com- 
mented, and forms the invariable rule of go- 
verning the nation for all ages. 

The Chun-tsew consists of nothing but of dry 
chronological tables, containing the history of 
Confucius's native country, the kingdom of Loo, 
and some of the neighbouring states, which 
takes up the thread of history where the Shoc- 
king drops it. Confucius composed this work 
principally in order to reform the manners of 
his degenerate times, but how this could be 
effected by mere chronological tables we cannot 
understand. The work is as accurate as any 
written at so distant a period can be, though 
the commentators widely differ in explaining 
the events recorded. It contains the annals of 
two hundred and forty-one years, under ten 
kings. 

The She-king, or Book of Odes, a collection 
of popular songs, which Confucius either found 
in the mouths of his contemporaries or gathered 
from ancient records, is divided into three parts. 
As poetry, it possesses no merit, being only 
valuable for its high antiquity. The odes are 
various : some addressed to heaven, and sung at 
the annual sacrifices ; others in praise of wise 
princes and faithful wives. Some are of an 
amorous character. It abounds in endless le- 

VOL. f. o 



194 CHOW DYNASTY. 

petitions. The style is often obscure, and leaves 
great latitude for interpretation. However, the 
Chinese ascribe all its defects to its having 
been mutilated in the new collection made of 
the work after the general destruction of books 
by Tsin*che«hwang. The translations which 
have appeared have given only the sense, and 
considerably improved upon the original. 

The Yih-king, the oldest of all Chinese 
books, is ascribed to Fuh*he. Several learned 
men before Confucius engaged in improving 
the sytem of symbols, which this book teaches, 
and Confucius put the finishing hand to it. 
It is nothing but a symbolical representation 
of nature and its changes. Fuh-he, who was 
unacquainted with the use of characters, em- 
ployed certain lines to express the combina- 
tion of the existence of all things. We may 
compare the four images (seang) and the eight 
figures (kwa), which are deduced firom the ope- 
rating Yang and Yin, male and female principle, 
to the notes of music, which regulate the faam 
mony of sound. So these symbols are intended 
to represent the harmony of nature in its vari- 
ous combinations of elements, to the number of 
sixty-four. By placing and replacing them, 
they pretend to discover future events, just as 
chance throws the symbols together. They also 
use these symbols in order to find out virtuous 



CHOW DYNASTY. 196 

motives. Fvom this short notice, it will appear 
that the Yth^king contains nothing but an ima* 
ginary system of diings, a system of prognostics 
without foandation — a cosmology and cosmo- 
gony without existence — a system of ethics 
without principle. The wisest amongst the 
Chinese have entered this labyrinth, but only 
to come out of it more bewildered. Confucius, to 
whom we may ascribe the systematical order in 
these metaphysical speculations, considered the 
Yih-king as a work which contained the whole 
compass of human science. He who tmder- 
stood this book could know all things, and pe- 
netrate every mystery in the government of the 
universe. This practical philosopher became, 
in this one thing, vain in his imagination, and 
did great injury to his countrymen by establish- 
ing a pantheistic code. 

It was the great object of Confucius to regu« 
late the manners of the people. He thought 
outward decorum the true emblem of excellency 
of heart; he therefore digested all the various 
ceremonies into one general code of rites, ^ich 
was caUed Le^ke. In this work he did not 
produce his own ideas, but derived all rites and 
customs from remote antiquity, and thereby 
gave to his code an unquestionable authority. 
Every ritual in all the relations of human life 
is strictly regulated, so that a true Chinese is a 

o2 



196 CHOW DYNASTY. 

perfect automaton, put in motion by the regula- 
tions of the Le-ke. Some of the rites are most 
excellent — the duties towards parents, the re- 
spect due to a prince or any other superior, the 
decorum in the behaviour of common life, 8cc. 
speak highly in favour of Confucius ; but his 
substituting mere ceremony for simplicity and 
true politeness is unpardonable. The Le-ke 
contains many excellent maxims, and inculcates 
morality ; but it has come to us in a mutilated 
state, with many interpolations. 

The above-mentioned works constitute the 
five books, or Woo-king, which hold the highest 
rank in the estimation of the Chinese. Con- 
fucius's words and actions are recorded by his 
disciples in a work called the Lun-yu. His just 
sayings are very much to the purpose, and his 
hints to his disciples very valuable. It was his 
wish that they should ultimately become officers 
of state, therefore he confined his instructions to 
political economy, to which he reduces all the 
duties of life. As a man he appears like a com- 
mon mortal, whose predominant fault seems to 
have been ambition, a desire to rule over his 
country, with the benevolent wish of rendering 
the people happy, by making them virtuous. 
His outward decorum is highly extolled ; even 
the most trivial things are held up as objects of 
admiration ; but we regret that there is one blot 



CHOW DYNASTY. 197 

in his character. He was married in his nine- 
teenth year, and his wife presented him with a 
son, who afterwards died ; but he divorced his 
wife. We regret to say that he treats women, 
and the duties of husbands towards their wives, 
very slightly. By not giving a proper rank in 
society to females, by denying to them the pri- 
vileges which are their due, as sisters, mothers, 
wives, and daughters, the more sensible and 
devoted part of our kind, he has marred the 
harmony of social life, and put a barrier against 
the improvement of society. The regeneration 
of China will, in fact, never take place, unless 
the females be raised from the degraded state 
which Confucius assigned to them. 

The Ta-heo (great doctrine or science) of 
Confucius is full of sound principles. He be- 
gins at home — first rule yourself, and then you 
can rule a family, and after this a country ; his 
ideas of reform are the same ; it begins at home : 
first reform yourself, then your family, then 
your government, and finally, all between the 
four seas. As a part of this work is lost, some 
commentators have added the substance of its 
former contents. This is also the case with 
the Chung-yung, the due medium^ a work full of 
high-flown sentences in praise of the ** superior 
man," who constantly observes the due medium, 
and never deviates. He even goes so far as to 



198 CHOW DYNASTY. 

deify him, and to tell us, that all things are pos- 
sible for the superior man. HoweYer, many of 
these extraYagant ideas ought to be ascribed to 
his disciples, and not to him. The aboYe-men- 
tioned works constitute (with the Yolumes of 
which Mang*t8ze, or Mencius is the author,) the 
four classical books, and are put in the hands 
of children, as soon as they enter school, that 
they may learn to repeat them. It is rather ex- 
traordinary that political economy constitutes 
the first science, which all Chinese boys are 
taught. His Heaou^king, or classic, which 
treats of filial piety ^ is perhaps the most use- 
fiil, though the smallest of all; filial piety is 
there exalted to the rank of a celestial Yirtue, 
which influences Heaven and beautifies the 
earth. He constitutes it the basis of good go- 
Yemment, the life-giYing principle of every Yir- 
tue, the foundation of all happiness. We by 
no means join in all the extravagant praises, 
which a Chinese sage bestows upon a virtue im- 
planted in the human breast by God; though 
we are fully convinced, that the repeated incul- 
cation of this great, duty has materially con- 
tributed towards maintaining that good order 
in China, which is truly admirable. Without 
acting on this fundamental princi{4e, China 
could never have existed so long. But their 
filial piety is carried to extremes, and used as a 



CHOW DTNASTY. 199 

fetter to shackle the mind» though much of the 
theory can never be reduced to practice, though 
some of the precepts enjoin idolatry, and some 
are quite useless iand injurious, it is neverthe- 
less die best system, by which man ever con- 
trived to establish the happiness of his fellow- 
creatures. 

We wonder, that a philosopher who enjoins 
implicit obedience towards superiors, should 
have forgotten to speak of our duties towards 
the Supreme Being, the giver of all good and per- 
fect gifts, the author of our existence, the foun- 
tain of all virtue, to whom our eternal praises 
are due. 

Confucius, with all other Chinese philosophers, 
commands to worship the national gods, what- 
ever they may be. He defines the rites of their 
worship, refuses to speak any thing in explana- 
tion, but merely enjoins to worship the gods as 
gods. They are in his estimation, what the 
empty name of providence is in the philosophi- 
cal systems of Deists, — a power divested of om- 
nipotence and omniscience. Teen and Shang- 
te — Heaven and the Supreme Emperor ought to 
be invoked, an appeal to them on solemn occa- 
sions is necessary ; but the government of the 
world originates in the operation of Yang and 
Yin, the male and female principles, light and 
darkness. 



200 CHOW DYNASTY, 

With the exception of the Yih-king, the doc- 
trines of Confucius have all a practical ten- 
dency, there is scarcely any thing but common 
sense: no speculation, no search after know- 
ledge not of immediate practical usefulness. 
The mind of Confucius is not, however^ greatly 
refined ; he courts honour and emolument, 
but all with the best intention — that of doing 
good. His knowledge of human nature is 
very limited; he considers man as naturally 
virtuous, — ** To make a whole nation virtuous 
is as easy as to turn the finger in the palm of 
the hand ; you have only to show a good exam- 
ple, and all the world will follow it." How far 
this coincided with his own experience, we can- 
not say, for amongst all his disciples, he had 
^^ only one, who was truly virtuous ; and he 
died early." Notwithstanding his good exam- 
ple, the world remained in a depraved state, 
and not one kingdom was thoroughly reclaimed 
from vice. The sage himself was liable to mo- 
ral defects, and nevertheless, views the original 
bent of the mind as decidedly virtuous. 

We may find the test of his system in ita 
having kept so many millions for so many cen- 
turies together. No human institution has stood 
so long, has found so many admirers and fol- 
lowers. If we have to regulate our opinion 
upon this subject according to the influence ex- 



CHOW DYNASTY. 201 

ercised upon the Chinese nation, it will be fa- 
Tourable. We only lament, that a people, not 
yielding to any other in Asia the palm of supe- 
riority, has become formal, and a mere slave to 
antiquated custom. Improvement has for many 
centuries ceased ; the Chinese have ceased to 
think, and become gross in their appetite ; sin- 
cerity is extinct in their breast, their heart is 
hardened against all religious impressions, they 
are a nation who maintain the form of virtue, 
but hate to practise it. But we will not ascribe 
these bad effects to Confucius. 

A contemporary of Confucius, Laou-keun, or 
Laou-tsze, filled up the vacancy, which he had 
left, by administering freely to the religious 
wants of the people. We do not repeat the 
absurd fables which are told of his miraculous 
birth, after having been borne for eighty years 
in the womb of his mother. There are many 
excellent points in his doctrine. To refine 
human nature, to lead it to the utmost perfec- 
tion, was the great object of his teaching. Yet 
we regret, that he is too abstruse. His love 
of this mortal life was so great, that he endea- 
voured to find out the liquor which confers im* 
mortality. He wished to be rich, and there- 
fore dabbled in alchymy. To be virtuous to 
perfection, he withdrew from all intercourse 
with mankind, and buried himself in the re- 



202 CHOW DTTNASTT. 

cesses of mountaiiis. Though he darkly hints 
at the existence of a Supreme Being, (some 
have even found allusions to the doctrine of the 
Holy Trinity,) we must confess, after having 
minutely examined his principal, and perhaps 
his only work — ^the Taou-tih-king, that his ideas 
are very confused. His moral doctrines want the 
strength of principle, his theology inculcates 
idolatry. His followers have improved upon 
this system, and filled the air, earth, and water 
with spirits and demons. 

We must now again take up the thread of 
history, but in order to avoid all unnecessary re- 
petitions, we will give from the ^^ Histoire Ge* 
nerale " a short view of the tributary states, to 
the end of the Chow dynasty. 

The state of Han, of which the capital was 
Hang-ching*kean, in Shense, was ruled by a 
line of kings, who traced their descent from the 
founders of the Chow dynasty. This kingdom 
existed 195 years, from 424 — 230 b. c, when it 
was destroyed by Tsin-she-hwang. 
. The state Chaou, was situated in Pih-chih- 
le province ; it was foimded by Tsaou-foo, who 
lived during the reign of Muh-wang; it lasted 
from 408—222 b. c, and was destroyed by Tsin. 

Tsin, in Shanse province, existed as early as 
1115, and lasted till 375 b. c. ; it was one of the 
most powerful and unruly of all the states. 



CHOW DYNASTY. 203 

Loo, in Shan-tang, dates its existence ftom 
1 122, and lasted till 250 B. c, when it was con- 
quered by Kaou-lee-wang, prince of Tsoo. 

Tse ruled over one half of Shaurtung ; it lasted 
744 years, from 1122 — 379 b. c/ It was suc- 
ceeded by the family of Teen-tse, which main- 
tained itself till 221 b. c. 

Wei, which held its court at Kae-fung-foo, in 
Honan, was a very power£ul . state, and lasted 
longer than any other, viz. from 1115 — 209 b. c. 

Tsae, also situated in Honan, lasted from 
1122 — 447 b. c, and was destroyed by Hwuy- 
wang, king of Tsoo. 

Chin, situated in the province of Honan, in 
the northern parts, lasted 645 years, from 1122 
— 478 B. c. 

Yen, in Pih-chih-le, was long a powerful state, 
and lasted from 1122—222 b. c. 

Tsin, in Shense, (to be distinguished from 
the Tsin in Shanse,) continued as a distinct 
princedom 878 years, from 1 122 — 255 b. c. Its 
monarch then took the imperial title, and shortly 
after established the dynasty of Tsin, on the 
mins of that of Chow. 

Tsoo, situated in Hoo-Ie-wang, lasted from 
J122to223. 

Ke, occupying the district of Kae-fung-foo, 
in Honan, existed from 1 122 to 445. 



204 CHOW DYNASTY. 

Ching was also situated in Honan province, 
and lasted from 806 — 375 b. c. 

Sung was likewise a small state in Honan, 
and lasted from 1113—286 b. c. 

Tsaou occupied a part of Shan-tung ; it be- 
gan 1122, and ended in 487 b. c. 

We pass in silence the states Woo, Heu, 
Tang, Hue, and several others, because they 
were only ephemeral. 

It was the earnest desire of Confucius to unite 
all the princes. He considered this an easy 
task; the only thing required was a virtuous 
head, and all the empire would readily submit 
to this man. In this he was disappointed. The 
different kings waged war during his life-time, 
as well as after his death, even whilst many 
princes had adopted his doctrines. The affairs 
of China deteriorated. During the reigns of 
King-wang, 544 b. c. ; King-wang, 519 b. c. ; 
Yuen-wang, 475 b. c. ; Ching-ting-wang, 468 
B. c. ; Kaou-wang, 440 b. c, and Wei-lee- wang, 
425 B. c, there was nothing but wars and blood- 
shed, which shook the empire to pieces. In the 
23rd year of Wei-lee-wang, the brazen vases, 
made by Yu, upon which the different provinces 
of the empire were engraved, shook violently, 
which was a sure sign of the ruin of Chow. 
The powerful vassals, who viewed it in this 



CHOW DYNASTY. 205 

light, fought now no more for independence, but 
considered the imperial dignity a lawful prize 
to every one, who might venture to seize upon 
it« During these boisterous times, the chroni- 
clers became careless, and we discover a great 
many anachronisms in the annals. 

Grang-wang, who afterwards came to the 
throne, 401 b. c, saw the rapid approach of in- 
evitable ruin, which threatened his family. A 
mountain had fallen into the Yellow River, and 
arrested its course. The water in consequence 
overflowed the whole country, and laid it waste. 

Under Lee-wang, his successor, the prince of 
Han took possession of the Ching principality. 
Under his reign, the celebrated Mang-tsze was 
bom. We have refrained from dwelling upon 
the darkest times of Chinese history, but are 
desirous of giving some outlines of the life of a 
man, who in the estimation of the Chinese, 
ranks next to Confucius. 

Mang-tsze was descended from a noble fa- 
mily; his father died when he was yet very 
young ; he was left to the care of his excellent 
mother, who by no means neglected the educa- 
tion of her son. She possessed all the moral 
qualifications requisite to form the heart of her 
only son. They lived in Shang-timg, in Yen- 
choo*foo district. Their neighbour was a but- 
cher. Mang-tsee resorted to the slau^ter-house, 



206 CS'HOW DYNASTY. 

whenever he he&rd the cries of the animfalj^ 
which were to b^ killed, and delighted in be-» 
holding their agonies. When his mother oIh 
served this, she removed to another dwdlingi 
near a burial place. Mang-tsee, who saw the 
people constantly crowding thither, in order to 
weep and to pay homage to their deceased rela- 
tions, began to mimick them, which also alarmed 
his mother, who, fearing that her son might be- 
come profane, and despise these sacied rites^ 
took up her abode near a public institution. 
Here his character received very soon that po- 
lish, which marks the geikdeman. Encouraged 
by his mother, he made a rapid progress in 
learning, and having become a disciple of Con- 
fiicius's grandson, Tsze-sze, he very soon ac- 
quired great celebrity. As soon as he had ob- 
tained sufficient knowledge of the five classics 
and the world, be stood forth as a champion of 
the Confucian doctrines. He visited the war- 
like princes, and exhorted them to peace and 
concord. Considering self-interest as the root 
of all evil, he recommended virtue as the sole 
object of all our pursuits. " Wage no war," 
he said, '* provide for the aged, be careful m the 
choice of ministers, supply thie people's wants by 
a proper administration, and the whole empire 
vrill submit to you." Two sects had spread 
widely, the one inculcated universal love, the 



CHOW DYNASTY* 207 

Other taught selfishness. Mang-tsze thought it 
his duty to counteract their pernicious doctrines, 
which in his opinion proved destructive to the 
sacred ties of relationship. If we except the 
Scots, no nation is so closely united by the ties 
of clanship, which they designate by the word 
sing, as the Chinese. All the many millions 
are divided into rather more than 400 sing ; those 
who belong to the same sing, consider each 
other as relations, descended from the same an* 
cestor, and bound in duty to lend mutual help. 
This excellent custom degenerates frequently 
into that exclusive partiality, which is so re* 
pugnant to the spirit of true philanthropy. One 
sing is opposed to the other, one clan oppresses 
the other; they proceed even so far as to engage 
in open hostilities. The ties of nearer relation- 
ship are still closer A Chinese is taught by 
his sages to love his relations, and to pro* 
mote their interests, even to the neglect of his 
duty towards his neighbour. Mang-tsze, who 
was afraid, that a system of general philanthropy 
would do away with the innate love towards 
our kindred, was particularly anxious to cir- 
cumscribe the bounds of the affections. 

He boldly addressed the princes, upbraided 
them with their faults, pointed out the way of 
governing the nation well, and held up the glo- 
rious examples of Yaou, Shun, and Woo-wang 



208 CHOW DYNASTY. 

for imitation. However, he was slighted, and 
though he often held office, he could never re- 
main so long in it as to give a practical proof of 
the efficacy of his theory. Disclaiming all 
merit of originality, he spoke of himself as the 
humble disciple of Confucius, who only repeated 
what had been said before him. He is more 
diffuse than his master, but also more explicit. 
His ideas of the goodness of human nature are 
so strong, that he continually dwells upon this 
subject. The bent of the human mind towards 
virtue is as strong as the law of gravitation ; it 
only requires a good example, and all the world 
will instantly become virtuous. But, notwith- 
standing these Utopian opinions, he had to make 
the sad experience, that his exhortations were 
slighted in many instances, and the utmost de- 
pravity reigned uncontrolled throughout the 
country. Whilst alive, he was generally over- 
looked, but after his death, which happened at 
the advanced age of 84 years, he was raised to 
the rank of a saint, and almost deified. His 
works, which contain his sayings, form a part 
of the four classics, and are in high renown for 
beauty of diction and strength of sentiment. 
Kaou-tsoo, the founder of the Ming dynasty, 
was highly ofiended at the liberty which he 
takes in upbraiding tyrants ; he prohibited the 
study of his works. One of the literati joined 



CHOW DYNASTV. 209 

in the general clamour against this unjust re- 
striction , and addressed a memorial to the em- 
peror upon the subject, expressing his willing- 
ness to die, if the emperor chose to disapprove 
of this freedom. Kaou-tsoo, touched with such 
an enthusiastic patriotism, not only forgave the 
offence, but also revoked the prohibition. 

We hasten to resume the thread of our history. 
Heen-wang ascended the throne, in 368 b. c. 
He had the mere title of sovereign, and if the 
vassals had not been constantly engaged in 
mutual wars, he might even have lost this. As 
long, however, as he possessed the brazen vases 
of the great Yu, the dignity of emperor re- 
mained invested in his house; but being ap- 
prehensive, that some one might ere long rob 
him of them by force, he threw them into a 
deep lake. 

Chin-tsing-wang (320 b. c.) saw with regret 
the growing power of Tsin, which rendered 
other states tributary ; but there was no remedy ; 
for having inherited the indolence of his prede- 
cessors, how could he then have resisted the 
torrent, which sapped the foundation of the 
throne ? 

Whilst.Nan-wang, the son of the former em- 
peror, who succeeded his father, in 314 b. c, 
looked about for help against the overpowering 
influence of Tsin, he saw himself forsaken by 

VOL. 1. p 



210 CHOW DYNASTV. 

almost all the princes. Chaou-seang^ king of 
Tsin, an able warrior, had sacrificed toShangte, 
and thereby virtually declared to all the empire 
that he was about to claim the imperial crown for 
himself. The prince of Tse only disputed with 
him the palm of victory, but he was speedily sub* 
dued. The emperor now invoked the help of 
the other princes, who, however, could scarcely 
save themselves from oppression. As soon as the 
prince of Tsin was informed of the emperor's 
intention, he invaded the imperial territoiy. 
Nothing then rebiained for Nang-wang but to 
sue as a suppliant for an ignominious peace ; 
offering his cities and soldiers to the conqu^t^r^ 
and engaging to pay tribute. Chaou^seang ac* 
cepted the offer, and sent him back to his coun^ 
try, where he died unregretted and unkno wn^ leav- 
ing no heirs to dispute with Tsin the possession 
of the throne. Chaou-sean immediately took 
possession of the imperial domains, but the 
Chow people, detesting those of Tsin, fled finom 
their country, and ranged IliemAelves around 
the standard of Chow*keun, who was a descend- 
ant of Hwan-kung, a brother of the emperor 
Kaou-wang, and possessed a small district in, 
Honan. This prince, whom history also calls 
Hwuy-kung, possessed great courage ; but the 
other princes not seconding his efforts> he was 
forced to submit to Tsin. Chaou-seang did not 



CHOW DYNASTY. 211 

live to see the fulfilment of his wishes. He had 
expected, that all the other princes would ac- 
knowledge him as their emperor, but had the 
mortification to observe, that they refused him 
this homage, till he had forcibly compelled them 
to render it. Whilst in the eager pursuit of 
glory, he was called away from this world, and 
his grandson, Chwang-seang-wapg enjoyed that 
dignity, which his ancestor had so anxiously 
sought, 249 B. c. 



p2 



212 



CHAPTER IX. 

TSIN DYNASTY. 
FROM 249 TO 206 B. C. 

The dominions of Tsin extended over a fifth- 
part of the whole empire; there was nothing 
wanting but the imperial dignity to render the 
prince of Tsin master of China. The moment 
for obtaining this had arrived, but Chaou-seang 
did not enjoy the fruits of his conquests ; his 
son also was called away by death. £-jin, the 
grandson of Chaou-seang had been a hostage 
in the Chaou country, where he narrowly 
escaped a dreadful fate when his grandfather 
declared war against Chaou. 

Chaou-seang had, by his cruelty, rendered 
the name of Tsin odious. When he had over- 
come the states of Han and Chaou, which were 
attached to the Chow family, he beheaded many 
thousand people, with no other view than that 
of rendering the name of Tsin terrible. His 
son, Heaou-wan-wang, died a few days after 
his accession to the throne. E-jin, whom his- 



T8IN DYNASTY. 213 

tory calls Chwang-seang-wang, succeeded, and 
prosecuted with ardour the war his grandfather 
had commenced. He defeated the troops of 
Han, took from them several villages and cities, 
routed the prince of Chaou, and forced the 
prince of Tsoo to flee from his capital. Such 
continued success made the other states trem- 
ble. Five of them entered into an alliance, and 
marched against Chwang-seang, who was de- 
feated in a pitched battle, fled, and died shortly 
afterwards of vexation. 

Before E-jin came to the throne, and while 
he was still in Chaou, he became acquainted 
with a merchant called Leu-puh-wei. This man 
had conceived the extravagant idea of raising 
one of his own children to the throne ; with this 
view he bought a female slave, and after she had 
conceived by him, made a present of her to E-jin. 
She bore a son, whom E-jin considered as his 
'own. When Chwang-seang- wang, his supposed 
father, died, the boy, who was then thirteen 
years old, succeeded. Aware of the great ta- 
lents of Leu-puh-wei, he called him to the 
court, made him prime-minister, and entrusted, 
in fact, all state affairs to him. This spurious 
child was the famous Che-hwang-te. His mo- 
ther behaved afterwards very ill, and had two 
children by a pretended eunuch. As Leu-puh- 
wei had been an abettor of this criminal inter- 



214 TSIN DYNASTY. 

course, he, as well as the mother of the empe- 
ror, was banished from court; the pretended 
eunuch, who had raised forces and rebelled, 
was taken captive and cut to pieces, together 
with his own children. Leu-puh*wei, fearing 
that the secret of his villany had been discover- 
ed, swallowed poison and died. We cannot 
vouch for the veracity of this tale, which might 
perhaps have been invented in order to tarnish 
the memory of an enemy to learning, which 
Che-hwang-te proved to be. 

The exile of his mother, who lived in the 
utmost.wretchedness, roused the minds of some 
philosophers to expostulate with the prince 
upon his impiety and unheard-of cruelty. 
** Filial piety," they remarked, ** is the first of 
all virtues, against which you wantonly offend." 
TThe emperor, highly indignant at their free- 
dom, prohibited, under pain of death, similar 
remonstrances ; and in order to show that he 
was in earnest, always held a naked sword 
whenever he gave audience. But notwithstand- 
ing this threat, twenty-seven literati, venturing 
to represent the matter again, were immediately 
dispatched; and in order to strike terror into 
the pec^le, their limbs were hung up outside 
the palace. Yet the veneration in which filial- 
piety is held inspired another intrepid man, 
called Maou-tseaou, to venture to upbraid the 



T8IK DYBTASTY. 216 

emperor. ** A man/' he said, '' who lives as if he 
were never to die, a prince who governs as if he 
conld never lose his kingdom, will not long enjoy 
what he possesses ; — the first possesses a life of 
which he does not know the price, the second 
an empire which he does not know how to pre- 
serve. Be pleased to hear me for one moment." 
The emperor granted him the request. Maou 
eonttnued c '^ Yon have put to death the pre- 
tended fathw of two children^ who being 
bronght forth by your mother, weee your bro- 
thers. You have aiost barbarously massacred 
your nearest kindred, your brethren. You have 
exiled her to whoD» yw owe your life* Whe- 
ther or net she has committed those crimes 
which are imputed to her is n^t the question ; 
I only wish to point out to you, that a son 
whom she has nursed in her lap has no right to 
treat her according to the rigour of the law. 
You have butchered the sages who exposed 
your nefarious actions. Can the heinous crimes 
of the barbajrous and voluptuous Kee, and of 
the ferocious Chow, be compared with your's ? 
They lost the empire; I tremble for you, if 
you do not hasten to amend your life. This is 
all I have to tell you, for your own advantage, 
and I shall die content." 

The emperor, struck with the intrepidity ot 
the sage, pardoned his freedom of speech. Af- 



216 TSIN DYNASTY. 

ter having expressed his regret that he could no 
more revive those whom he had cruelly but- 
chered, he went himself, accompanied by Maou, 
to recal his mother. Maou was retained at 
court as a faithful adviser.* 

This moderation of Che-hwang-te gained him 
the hearts of the people. It was, however, very 
difficult for him to disguise the mortification he 
felt at living under the surveillance of intrepid 
censors. As his court was filled with officers who 
had been bom in foreign states, he issued an 
edict, ordering all foreigners who held govern- 
ment appointments to leave Tsin. Amongst 
them was a man called Le-sze,* who regretted to 
leave a court where he had enjoyed such great 
honours, and therefore represented to the king 
of what great use foreigners had been in former 
times to the kingdom of Tsin. The emperor 
read the paper, admired the ingenuity of the 
author, revoked the edict, and made Le-sze his 
prime-minister. Le-sze possessed all the qua- 
lities which fitted him for so high a situation. 
It was he who concerted with Che-hwang-te 
the gigantic plan of subjecting the whole em- 
pire of China to one sole sovereign. To accom- 
plish this great end, which caused torrents of 
blood to flow, they first amassed a very great 
treasure, and then sowed discord amongst the 

* Yih-8ze. Memoires sur le Chmois, vol. iii. 



TSIN DYNASTY. 217 

petty princes; first exciting them to war, by 
furnishing money and assistance, and then 
overcoming them one by one. But his cruelty 
alienated all hearts from him ; and though 
Che-hwang-te by force of arms subjugated 
whole kingdoms, he was not able to gain the 
good will of the people. 

Before Che-hwang-te had succeeded to the 
throne, he had contracted an intimacy with the 
hereditary prince of Yen, called Tan. When 
he was seated upon the throne. Tan paid him a 
visit, but was coldly received, which made him 
return to his own country with disappointment. 
On his return, Fan-yu-ke, an imperial general, 
having fallen into disgrace, had fled to Yen. 
The emperor set a price upon his head, but 
Tan refused to violate the laws of hospitality. 
Though Tan appeared very sincere in his re- 
gard towards Fan-yu-ke, he kept him at his 
court only with the view of revenging the insult 
he had received. A crafty man, called King- 
ko, was sent to Fan-yu-ke, in order to acquaint 
him with the dreadful fate his family had Buf- 
fered by the Tsin tyrant on his own account. 
** You," he added, " will very soon fall a victim 
to the tyrant ; I advise you, therefore, to com- 
mit suicide. I shall carry your head to the 
tyrant, and whilst he is viewing it, I shall bury 
this poniard in his breast; thus you will re- 



218 T6IK DYNASTY. 

yenge your fiunily, and the empire will be freed 
from slavery." 

Fan-yu-ke listened with attention; he was 
enchanted with the prospect, and cut his throat. 
King-ko hastened with his head to Che-hwang- 
te, prostrated himself, and presented it in a 
box to the emperor. Whilst he was examining 
it, King-ko drew his poniard, bnt the emperor 
peroeived it in good time; he started, parried 
the blow of the assassin, received the woimd in 
his leg, and thus saved his life. King-ko was 
in despair at having missed so good an oppor- 
tunity of dispatching the monster, and again 
darted his dagger at him, which merely graced 
the imperial robes. After having, upon examina* 
tion, found out that the prince of Yen had hired 
the assassin, he Stocked Yen, drove the king 
out of his capital to Leaou-tung, and not yet 
satisfied with having inflicted so heavy a.pu- 
nishmoit, he satiated his revenge to surfdit by 
exterminating the whole femily. Constantly 
directing his attention to gain the one great ob* 
ject, — ^universal dominion, -^ be defeated all the 
machinations of the minor princes by a steady 
course of policy ; and they were all finally subdued. 
Che*hwang-te, who had before only borae the 
name of Ching-wang, as soon as he saw himself 

• 

the sole master of the whole empire, adopted 
the title of Emperor. Puffed up by his maoy 



T8IN PYKASTY. 219 

victories, he thought himscdf by no means infe- 
rior to any of the preceding worthies, Shin- 
nung, Yaou, and Shun; he therefore adopted 
the epithet of Che, '' beginning first," which he 
placed before the title of Emperor. The impe- 
rial colour was changed into black, 221 b.g,, 
and a regular system of despotism introduced. 
But he did not forget the improvement of his 
country. Astronomy, during the many trou- 
bles of the states, had fallen into disuse ; he re- 
established it, and published a calendar. Anx- 
ious to obliterate all the memory of sanguinary 
conquest, he ordered all the arms to be brought 
to his capital, Heen-yang, and obliged his nu- 
merous soldiers to settle themselves in this city, 
where he endeavoured to surpass all his prede- 
cessors in luxury and magnificence. The pa- 
lace was tastefully laid out, and enriched with 
the spoils of many kingdoms ; but the ease of 
the court could not soften theprince* He vi- 
sited all the provinces of the empire, made his 
own observations, and even penetrated to the 
great ocean. With scarcely any train, he tra- 
versed valleys and plains, always intent upon 
his duty. His vigorous mind was restless ; he 
could not brook the reproaches of the Uterati, 
nor oonibrm to their advice of introducing the 
<dd order of things — he wished to be a founder, 
not a restorer of an empire. Even in the pre- 



220 TSIN DYNASTY. 

valent superstition he dared to introduce inno- 
vations, and to offer sacrifices according to his 
own fancy. Being aknost drowned whilst cross* 
ing a river, he inquired about the cause ; the 
spirit of a mountain, which was pointed out to 
him, received all the credit. He therefore had 
the mountain laid bare of all its trees and herbs, 
in order to revenge himself for the insult. At 
another time, he dispatched some young men and 
women in search of the islands of immortality, 
which he was told were situated towards the east. 
The adventurers were driven back from thence by 
a very heavy gale, and returned without bringing 
with them the liquor of immortality ; but one 
of their nnmber, who had been driven in a diffe- 
rent direction, reported to the emperor that he 
had landed at the isles of immortality, where he 
had found a manuscript, which stated that the 
Tsin empire was to end by Hoo. Che-hwang-te 
lent a willing ear to this impostor, and imme- 
diately resolved to attack the Heung-noo or 
Huns, for these he understood were the Hoo 
which would put an end to the reign of his 
family. 

The Huns, this scourge of the civilized world, 
dated their empire from one of the princes of 
the Hea dynasty. Their country was of great 
extent, situated on the west of Shen-se, of which 
they possessed the western parts ; and their 



TSIN DYNASTY, 221 

posterity still inhabit a part of that territory, 
the present Ele. They belonged to that exten- 
sive tribe which the ancients comprised under 
the name of Sc3rthians. The country they in- 
habited was so barren as to render agriculture 
little available to the maintenance of life. Their 
indolent, pastoral habits had for them greater at- 
tractions than the constant toil of the Chinese 
peasant. Hunting is their chief amusement, 
and next to their herds, their principal means 
of subsistence. Without the arts of civilized 
life, they are cruel and blood-thirsty, desirous of 
conquest, and insatiable in rapine. Even the 
eastern provinces of the Grecian colonies were 
often molested by the savages who dwelt in the 
plains beyond the Oxus and Jaxartes. The 
famous valour of the Persian heroes, Rustam 
and Asfendiar, was signalized in the defence of 
their country against the Afrasiabs of the North ; 
and the invincible spirit of the same barbarians 
resisted the victorious arms of Cyrus and Alex- 
ander. The Huns were not the least amongst 
those numerous hordes. Their rulers, named 
Tanjous, gradually became the conquerors and 
the sovereigns of a formidable empire. Their 
victorious arms were only bounded by the 
Eastern Ocean ; the thinly-inhabited territories 
along the banks of the Amoor acknowledged 
their sway ; they conquered countries near the 



222 TSIN DTWASTY. 

Irtish and Imaus ; nothing could stop tbem but 
the ice-fields of the Aretic seas. Their principal 
strength^was in their innumerable cavalry, which 
appears to have been very skilful in the use of 
the bow. Their march wte neither checked by 
mountains nor torrents; they swam over the 
deepest rivers, and surprised with rapid impe- 
tuosity the camps of their enemies. Against 
such hordes no military tacti<is, no fortifica- 
tions, proved of any avail. They carried all 
before them witii irresistible power, and never 
waited until a numerous army could be as- 
sembled to overwhelm them. Hardy to an 
cactreme, they could support fatigue and ban* 
ger; and never lost view of tile object of all 
their excmsions — ^plunder. 

Che-hwang^te surprised, and sought to ex- 
tirpate these fierce barbarians, and finding them 
unprepared, the conquest was very easy: His 
g^^erels having subdued the people in the South, 
nothing more remained to be done than to subju- 
due tihiese Tatars, or, at least, to put a stop to their 
inroads. Some of liie Nordiem states had eventu** 
ally built a wsdl, to keep these unbidden guests 
out of their territories. CSie-hwang-te resolved to 
erect a monument of his enterprising spirit, 
which should be a lasting memorial of his great- 
ness. This was the building of the great wall, 
which commences at Lin-teaou, in the western 



TSIN DYNASTY 223 

part of Shen-se, and terminates in the monn- 
tains of Leaou«-tung, in the sea, a distance of 
more than fifteen hundred miles. It runs over 
hills and rivers, through valleys and plains, and 
is perhaps the most stupendous work evei pro- 
duced by human labour. He lined it with for- 
tresses, erected towers and battlements^ and 
built it so broad that six horsemen might ride 
abreast upon it. To lay the foundation in the 
sea, several vessels, loaded with ballast, were 
sunk, and upon this the wall was erected. 
Every third man in the empire was required to 
work on it^ under the direction of Mung-teen, 
240 B. c. The enormous work was finished 
within five years, but the founder had not the sa- 
tts£BM:tion of seeing it completed. During these 
immense pursuits* the emperor was often inter- 
rupted in his work by the representations of the 
literati, who desired to restore ancient customs^ 
and revert to^the glorious timesof YaouandShun. 
The emperor, fond of innovati<ms, anxious to 
perpetuate his name by extraordinary works* 
was highly dissatisfied with their observations. 
Le-sze, his prime-^minister, advised him, there- 
fore, to put a stop to all similar remarks by 
burning the ancient books. No period in all 
Chinese history has proved so injurious to lite- 
rature as this. But though even many millions 
of volumes might have been burnt, though even 



224 TSIN DYNASTY. 

several literati suffered death in defence of 
these precious treasures, it cannot be believed 
that all the copies could have been destroyed. 
However, the confusion which has thereby been 
introduced into the classics and historical an- 
nals, is so great, that the most learned Chinese 
have never been able to rectify the errors. 

Though the emperor had been always intre- 
pid in the midst of a battle, he began to trem- 
ble at the approach of death. A stone, which 
was said to have fallen from heaven, and was 
shown to him, produced the first symptoms of 
fear. He was never afterwards happy, but 
soon died, in the presence of some eunuchs and 
of Le-sze, 210 b.c. His eldest son, Foo-soo, had 
remonstrated with his father when 460 literati 

4 

were buried alive, on account of their refusal 
to destroy their national literature ; he had in 
consequence fallen into disgrace, and his death 
was resolved upon ; but his father died before 
the orders were executed. However, he lost 
the throne, for his brother Hoo-hae was raised 
to it by Le-sze. 

In viewing the character of this prince, who 
is so much detested by the Chinese, we find 
much to blame and to ab*hor ; but he possessed 
great qualifications, which eminently fitted him 
to be the ruler of a great nation. If China had 
had many such emperors, it would have been 



TSIN DYNASTY. 226 

from the bondage of custom, and have kept 
pace in improvement with other nations. Che- 
hwang-te was a conqueror, but he was likewise 
a politician. 

His son, Urh-she-hwang-te, succeeded him. 
The imperial funeral was celebrated with im- 
mense pomp ; the corpse was buried at the foot 
of the Le-shan mountain. The braye general, 
Mung-teen, was condemned to drink poison, in 
order, to atone for the intrigues of a parcel of 
worthless eunuchs. 

Che-hwang-te had seen the evil of a feudal 
government, and had therefore lowered the 
royal families, notwithstanding the many repre- 
sentations which were made to him to restore 
things to the ancient order. His son lived 
only for pleasure, and never quitted the palace. 
Some worthless eunuchs constituted his coun- 
sellors, he himself being a mere cypher. This 
gave rise to endless complaints; the soldiers 
revolted, and declared for his brother ; and se- 
veral of the surviving princes set up the stan- 
dard of sedition in the provinces.' A young and 
spirited man, named Lew-pang,''had become the 
captain of a troop of robbers. ' In his early youth 
he was met in the road by a man, who read in his 
physiognomy the sure indication of future great- 
ness, and who accordingly gave him his only 
and beautiful daughter in marriage. Whilst 

VOL. I. Q 



226 TSIN DYNASTY. 

Lew-pang's fame greatly increased, he chas- 
tised an imperial goyemor for not having kept 
his word, and became the leader of a small 
army, with which he joined the new king of 
Tsoo, who was on the point of attacking the 
emperor. Chang-han, the imperial general, had 
too much experience to trust longer in the per- 
fidious eunuch, Chaou-kaou, who was the prime 
minister, and he therefore revolted. The em- 
peror, who had murdered his brother, was not 
aware of the calamity which was approaching, and 
ere he could be warned of his ruin, the governor 
of the capital entered, saying, " The whole em- 
pire is in rebellion against you." The emperor 
replied, ^^ I yield my rank willingly, and do not 
hesitate to become a petty prince." — " No," re- 
plied the governor, ^* we do not require this 
from you ; you have extinguished so many fa- 
milies, your own ought to undergo the same 
fate." — ** Oh, leave me my life, my wives, and 
my children, no matter what becomes of me !" 
exclaimed the emperor." — " It is the order of 
the prime minister," replied the governor, '' that 
you should die." When the emperor heard 
this, and saw the executioners approaching, he 
stabbed himself, and fell at the feet of Yen-yo, 
207 B. c. 

The treacherous eunuch now called all the 
nobles together, and proposed to them to sur- 



TSIN DrNASTY. 227 

render the seals of office to Tsze-ying, a nephew 
of the emperor, who he hoped would restore 
the ancient splendour of the empire ; but Tsze- 
ying repaid this villain by killing him, to the 
gi^^t joy of the oppressed people. He then 
endeavoured to repel the army of Tsoo. but 
without success. Prompted by despair, he tied 
a rope round his neck and approached the con- 
queror, Lew-pang, riding on a cart. He was 
kindly received, and Lew- pang granted him his 
life. Thus ended the Tsin dynasty, 206 b. c, 
and the empire received better masters, who 
maintained themselves for a considerable time 
upon the throne.* 

* See ** Memoires sur les Chinois," vol. iii. — ** HUtoire Ge- 
nerate de la Chine,'* vol. ii. — " Kang-keen-e-che/' vol. iv.— 
" Yih-sae," vol. xxxvi.— " History of the Hnns/' in Gibboa't 
Htstofy, vol. iv. — D*Herbelot, <' BiUiotkeque Orientak,'* 
vol. iv. 



u2 



228 



CHAPTER X. 

HAN DYNASTY. 
* FROM 202 B. C. TO 220 A. D. 

The history dow begins to become very intri- 
cate ; but we possess excellent guides, and the 
best historians China eYer produced. 

Lew-pang, haYing receiYed from Tsze-ying 
all the imperial insignia and the seals of the 
empire, marched boldly to the capital of Tsin- 
keen-yang, in Shen-se. He gaYe the city OYer 
to plunder, but spared the liYes of the inhabi- 
tants. One of his friends took possession of 
all the public documents, whilst Lew-pang was 
drowned in the pleasures of the palace, from 
whence he would never have escaped, if his 
friend Chang-leang had not warned him of the 
danger. After having assured the people of his 
good intentions, he Inarched to meet Heang-3ru, 
one of the principal generals of Tsoo, who was 
envious of the exploits of his fellow-officer. 
Heang-yu, after some altercation, entered the 
city of Keen-yang, butchered the inhabitants 



HAN DYNASTY. 229 

in cold blood, and killed also Tsze-ying, the 
last scion of the Tsin family. JS^ot satisfied 
with baying murdered the living, and ravaged 
the city, he dug up the graves of the Tsin 
princes, burnt their bones, and scattered the 
ashes into the air. Such outrages and cruelties 
were not calculated to gain him the love of the 
people. He divided the spoils of the conquered 
countries amongst his favourites. Hwae-wang, 
king of Choo, was proclaimed emperor, 206 b.c, 
and Lew-pang received for his share that part 
of the country of which he had already taken 
possession, the territories of Pa, Choo, and 
Han-chang. China continued to exhibit from 
that day the same scene of carnage and war 
from which it had just emerged in the reign of 
Che-hwang-te. 

During all these troubles, Lew-pang showed 
much moderation, which gained him all hearts. 
He had also in his army, Han-sin, who had 
risen from the ranks, and fought the battles of 
his nation with admirable skill. In the year 
202 B. c, Lew-pang was sole master of the em- 
pire, and ascended the imperial throne, adopt- 
ing the name of Kaou-hwang-te, or Kaou-tsoo, 
being the founder of the line of Han. The first 
object of his solicitude, was to restore order, and 
to repair the injury done to the country during 
the time of anarchy. 



230 HAN DYNASTY. 

The Huns had, in the meanwhile, regained 
strength. Under Mete, a wise prince, who un- 
derstood how to take advantage of every circum- 
stance, they became formidable to China, and 
retook those parts, which the celebrated general, 
Mung*teen had conquered. To the great con- 
sternation of the emperor, his general, who 
guarded the frontier, went over to the Tatars, 
and delivered the fortresses into their hands. 
The emperor advanced, therefore, with a large 
army ; the enemy seemed to have disappeared, 
till he had reached Ping-ching, in Shan-se, 
where he was surrounded by swarms of cavalry, 
and had to buy an ignominious peace, by the 
intervention of a beautiful lady, whom he sent 
as a present to the Tangoo Mete. After this, the 
Tatars withdrew to their own country with im- 
mense booty ; but very soon returned. The em- 
peror sent an army against them under Cbang*e ; 
this general also revolted, and even the brave 
Han-sin was an abettor of the conspiracy, and 
lost his head in consequence. Pang-wei, one 
of the most celebrated generals, was also sus- 
pected, and after having been deprived of rank 
and honours, was beheaded, and his body thrown 
upon the high road. One of his officers had 
been dispatched on a message, from which he 
returned, when the head of bis master hung 
over the city wall. He went to the head, ad- 



HAN DTNASTY. 231 

dressed it, and delivered the result of his errand, 
just as if his master had been alive. This proof of 
fidelity was reported to the emperor ; and Lwan- 
pas, this was the name of the oflScer, was sen- 
tenced to be burnt alive. He received the news 
without emotion, addressed a speech to the em- 
peror, wherein he pointed out the generous be- 
haviour of Pang-wei, who had repeatedly saved 
the state from ruin. The emperor, astonished 
at this magnanimity, granted him his life, and 
appointed him a caisor of the empire. 

Another more serious rebellion arose shortly 
afterwards, in consequence of the emperor's 
precipitancy in inflicting capital punishments. 
However, having quelled this insurrection, he 
pacified the whole country, worshipped at Con- 
fucius's tomb, introduced a new code of laws, 
and showed himself inclined to restore the an- 
cient literature ; but was arrested by death in 
ld5 B. c, and his eldest son, Heaou-hwuy-te, or 
Hwuy-te succeeded him, notwithstanding the 
intrigues to exclude him from his right — the 
princess of Tse, who had a son by the emperor, 
being anxious to place him upon the throne. 
This irritated the empress Lew-che ; as soon as 
her son had ascended the throne, she degraded 
the Tse princess, and sent her to pound rice, whilst 
she gave poison to her son. But her rage was 
not yet satiated with these humiliations. She 



232 HAN DYNASTY. 

ordered the princess of Tse before her ; an ex- 
ecutioner gave her a great many blows, till she 
fainted ; then her hair was plucked out by the 
roots, her hands and feet and ears cut off, and 
when she still showed symptoms of life, a large 
draught of poison was administered to her. Her 
naked and mangled corpse was then thrown 
into the common sewer. This unparalleled 
cruelty even shocked the emperor, who refused 
to commence his reign, for fear of rendering 
himself an abettor of such a heinous crime. But 
instead of studying the art of government, he 
gave himself over to lewd women, and devoted all 
his hours to pleasure. But he had excellent 
ministers, and his mother, though a cruel wo- 
man, understood very well how to govern. It 
was owing to her moderation, that the Tatars 
made no inroads into China. Anxious to main- 
tain her ascendancy over her son, she removed 
every person from court, who could possibly 
have inspired his effeminate breast with manly 
ideas. Ambitious to elevate her own power, she 
discharged the most influential persons about 
the court, and put her relations into the highest 
offices. The enervated emperor did not live 
long enough to see the consequences of such 
partiality, but died without issue, 188 b. c. To 
prevent the crown from falling to any other but the 
creature of the empress, she substituted the child 



HAN DYNASTY. 233 

of a common peasant as the son of the emperor. 
Her name, which is Lew-how, is execrated by the 
Chinese. She usurped the throne for eight years. 
The child whom she had at first raised to the 
highest dignities, was afterwards dispatched by 
her command, in order to avoid discovery. Her 
ambition carried her astray, to commit the most 
horrible actions ; and she would have died a vio- 
lent death, if she had not been called away by 
sickness from the sphere of action, 180 b. c. 
She is the first woman who reigned over the 
celestial empire. Her talents were great, and 
had she possessed a better heart, her name 
might have been immortal and blessed. 

Wan-te, a descendant of Kaou-tsoo, was 
chosen her successor. The country was at that 
time in a very backward state. Wan-te endea- 
voured to introduce economy, to encourage agri- 
culture, and to promote ancient literature. His 
festivals in honour of the ancient deities were 
splendid. He imitated the glorious example of 
antiquity, and thereby gained the hearts of the 
people. The Huns invaded China repeatedly* 
Wan-te endeavoured to check their inroads by 
stationing a great number of Chinese beyond 
the frontiers, who had to accustom themselves 
to the same hardy sort of life. Splendid gifts, 
under the name of presents, but in reality tri- 
bute, were sent to these barbarians to satisfy 



234 HAN DYNASTY. 

their cupidity. Wan-te died iu 157 b. c.» leav- 
ing an exceUent character behind him. He cer- 
tainly was one of the Chinese worthies, though 
his actions were not grand : he only aimed at the 
welfare of his nation, and was assiduous in the 
administration of a paternal government. Un- 
der his reign, the Chinese invented paper. 

His successor, King-te, was a very lenient 
prince. The children of the petty princes were 
educated at the capital. At a great festival, the 
emperor stabbed the son of the prince of Woo. 
His father, to revenge the death of his son, suc- 
ceeded in erecting the standard of rebellion, and 
was joined by five other princes. But notwith- 
standing their great number, the battle against 
the imperial forces was lost. During his reign 
some earthquakes happened, ajid the locusts 
devoured great part of the crops. It was a time 
of general calamity. King-te died soon after- 
wards, in 141 B. c. 

His successor, Woo-tee, Woo-hwang-te, or 
She-tsung-heaou-woo-hwang-te, ranks very high 
in the estimation of the Chinese ; and he was a 
prince fully deserving of that high renown, 
which posterity has conferred upon him. 

When he ascended the throne, it was his 
earnest desire to conform strictly to the ancient 
model of government. He, therefore, consulted 
with the most learned scholars how to effect this 



HAN DTNASTT. 235 

great purpope. Tung«chung, one of the most 
celebrated^ gave him his advice. However, they 
found in the empress a violent opponent. By 
her intrigues, she prevailed upon the emperor to 
pronounce sentence upon some followers of the 
Confucian sect, who accordingly died by their 
own hand. She was addicted to the creed of the 
Laou-tsze, and considered the heartless doctrines 
of the Chinese sage, as the greatest enemy to 
the mystical system of her beloved master. How- 
ever, the Chinese literati, who had so long borne 
contempt and hardships, willingly listened to the 
invitations of the emperor, and several thousands 
repaired to the court. But notwithstanding this 
great number of sages, the country languished 
under the calamities which the Lord of Hosts in- 
flicted. There was a great inundation of the 
Yellow River, a long continued drought, and 
swarms of locusts, which ate up the land. A 
conflagration, which lasted for five days, con- 
sumed a part of the imperial palace. All these 
circumstances united, spread consternation far 
and wide. 

China, though proud in its power, could not 
disguise the weakness inherent to absolute des- 
potism. One of the sons of the desert, a Tongoo 
of the Huns, asked an imperial princess in mar- 
riage. These barbarians despised their own 
women, who were doomed to the most abject 



236 HAN DYNASTY. 

labour, and looked wistfully after the fair daugh- 
ters of China. Since that period, a band of 
beautiful maidens has often been devoted to the 
rude embraces of these barbarians, as a tribute, 
which at once proved the imbecility and degra- 
dation of a haughty government. Princesses 
themselves have been given up to these savages 
to prevent their ravages in the country. It is 
even in our days the policy of the Chinese court 
to send the imperial princesses to the Mongol 
princes, in order to keep them in subjection by 
the ties of consanguinity ; and many a princess 
has pined her life away in the presence of her sa- 
vage husband, whilst raw flesh was her meat, 
and sour milk her drink. 

Woo-tee, on this occasion convoked a council, 
and the majority was in favour of the Tongoo's 
suit. The emperor, though a very great man, 
and enthusiastic for the Confucian doctrines, 
had nevertheless his weak side. Some priests 
of the Taou sect pretended to have discovered 
the liquor of immortality, the ambrosia of the 
immortals. They offered their nostrum to the 
emperor, but one of his grandees drank it be- 
fore him. Offended at this temerity, the em- 
peror threatened him with instant death. How 
can you kill me, asked the nobleman, if I am 
immortal ? Struck with this well-timed remark, 
his majesty forgave his offence, and henceforth 



HAN DYNASTY. 237 

abstained from giving credit to these empty 
fables. 

In the meanwhile, the Huns were not idle, 
and constantly attacked the frontiers of the 
Chinese empire. Woo-te was not backward to 
repel their inroads. The Chinese on the frontiers 
were trained for the service against these swift 
enemies ; some Tatar tribes also joined the im- 
perial standards, and after many reverses, Gene- 
ral Wei-sing surprised them, routed the whole 
horde^ and took about 15,000 men prisoners, 
with the whole camp and baggage. Such a dis- 
aster intimidated them for awhile, but they 
shortly regained sufficient strength to renew the 
struggle. New incursions threw the whole em- 
pire into consternation. But this prince was not 
daunted. After many campaigns, he finally 
struck such a decisive blow, that the Huns were 
so enfeebled, as not to return for many years. 

Though Woo-te had studied the classics with 
great attention, he was by no means freed from 
superstition, and none of the literati even of the 
present day, are entirely void of ridiculous pre- 
judices. When a beloved wife of his had died, 
a priest of the Taou sect promised to let him 
see an apparition of the object of his affections. 
He imagined he saw her during the night, but on 
hastening to embrace her, the spectre vanished. 
The emperor, desirous of being constantly re- 



2S8 HAN DYNASTY. 

galed by the sight of the spirit of his beloved, 
appointed another meeting. The priest could not 
satisfy the desire, but promised to procure from 
the belly (tf an ox a writings which would hi^ly 
amuse his votary. The animal was killed, the 
writing produced, but found to be an imposture^ 
and the deceiver was executed. 

The patronage, which the learned found under 
Woo-te, greatly contributed towards the re- 
establishment of learning. There flourished 
many excellent writers, but amongst them, none 
is so much celebrated as Ize-ma-tseen, the £ei- 
ther of Chinese history, another Herodotus. He 
was bom of rich parents. His father possessed 
a large collection of books, which he studied 
with the greatest avidity. After having stored up 
a rich treasure of literature, he travelled for his 
instruction in the north and south of China. 
Recalled by the approaching death of his father, 
he received his last instructions, and composed 
his history, which procured for him the office of 
Tae-she, or great historian. But he fell into 
disgrace, and was in consequence mutilated and 
banished. In his exile, he composed his works, of 
which the history of China, a dry detail of events, 
obscured by the brevity of the Shoo kings, is 
the most celebrated. He begins with Hwang* 
te, and ends with his own times. His works 
were first collected and published by Yang-hui, 



HAW DVNA8TV. 239 

his grandson. When the emperor saw his un- 
wearied zeal for the advancement of science, he 
recalled him, and assigned to him a very high 
oflBce. And well did he deserve such a distinc- 
tion, for he laid the foundation of the Chinese 
history, and all future historians have profited 
by his writings. The state of anarchy into 
which the empire was thrown by the Taou doc* 
trines, exercised the most pernicious effects 
npon the minds of the people. It was during 
this reign, that the system of Laou-keun gained 
the most credit. The priests had many temples 
built, and erected numerous idols to attract the 
attention of the common people. The em- 
peror had repeatedly been imposed up<Hi by 
their delusions, and was even upon the point 
of sacrificing his ovm son, who had been in- 
volved in their imposture. But when his inno- 
cence was discovered, he persecuted this sect 
with relentless fury, which met the fullest ap- 
probation of the Confucians. 

In appointing a successor, he consulted out- 
ward form, a resemblance to Yaou, in one of his 
sons, who was then seven years of age. To 
prevent the reign of a woman during his mino* 
rity, he killed the mother of the prince, and heir 
of the crown, and died shortly afterwards — a 
cruel act, worthy of a barbarian, who has lost 
all natural feeling. The custom of giving the 



240 HAN DYNASTY. 

reign of every emperor a particular name, Kwo- 
haou, commenced under Woo-te. At first their 
names were often changed, and, therefore, it 
would cause confusion if we adopted them ; but 
afterwards it was seldom altered, and the name 
of the reign served to dei^ignate the emperor, 
who only, after his death, received in the hall 
of ancestors a perpetual name. 

Chaou-te, his son, who ascended the throne in 
86 B« c, sunk into indolence and dissipation, and 
the same tragedies of war and rapine were re- 
newed under his reign. The Kin, Western 
Tatars, and the Woo-kwan, Eastern Tatars, in 
Leaou-ting, became very turbulent, and it re- 
quired all the strength of the imperial army to 
prevent them from attacking the frontier pro- 
vinces. After his death, 74 b. c, his uncle as- 
sumed the reins of government, but being a 
worthless and indolent man, he was very soon 
dethroned, by the unanimous voice of the nobles, 
and Seuen-te, a young prince, succeeded, 73 b. c. 
He was very young when he received the crown, 
but possessed a great share of good sense. To 
avoid the errors of rashness, so common to youth, 
he entrusted the care of government to Ho- 
kwang, his prime minister, a man of good abi- 
lities, but a bad heart. It was by the intrigues 
of his wife, that the empress died in child-birth. 
His ambitious daughter was afterwards raised 



HAN DYNASTY. 241 

to this illustrious rank. She tried at first to 
poison the legitimate heir of the crown, but fail- 
ing in this attempt, and seeing that her family, 
after the death of Ho-kwang, lost all influence 
in the court, she determined to dethrone and 
murder the emperor. Several worthless wretches, 
who had been degraded, ofibred their services. 
They agreed to invite a great party, in which all 
the officers of government were to be included. 
In the midst of joviality, the empress was to 
send an order for the execution of all the guests, 
whilst some of the officers were to be dispatched 
in order to assassinate the emperor. All was 
ready for execution, when the plot was betrayed; 
the authors committed suicide to save them- 
selves from an ignoble death, and the empress 
was degraded. 

After many fruitless attempts to make them- 
selves masters of the fertile provinces of China ; 
the Huns» and some other Tatar tribes, came to 
render homage to the emperor ; so that, nomi- 
nally, all the country from Shen-se to the Cas- 
pian Sea, acknowledged the Chinese sceptre. 
Such a glorious unexpected event filled the 
emperor with the most lively joy. He erected a 
hall, where the portraits of the generals, who 
had so bravely fought against the barbarians, 
were hungup as monuments of their exploits. 

In order to facilitate the administration of the 

VOL. I. R 



242 HAN DYNASTY. 

laws, he reduced the code, and explained all 
difficult cases. The ancient classics, witidi, 
with the exception of the E-king, had almost 
all perished during the general conflagration 
under Che4iwang-te, had been i^ain compiled 
from fragments which were occasionally found. 
Seuen-te caused them tO' be properly explained, 
and greatly encouraged the study of them ; on 
which account, he is considered one of the great- 
est princes of China. Yuen-te, his successor, 48 
B. c, showed still more inclmation to promote 
ancient literature. This was the glorious time 
of the literati to introduce antiquated customs. 
The most learned amongst them were ini^ested 
wilii the highest offices of the empire, and en- 
deavoured to persuade the emperor, a weak- 
minded man, and humble disciple, to imitate the 
illustrious Yaou and Shun. Although they con- 
tinually dwelt upon yirtue, diey were oonstantly 
engaged in petty strifes, and endeavoured to 
nndermine the authority of one another, making 
use of despicable eunuchs to forward their de- 
signs. But these intrigues rendered the eunuchs 
powerful, and the empire began to feel the con- 
sequences of being swayed by such wretched 
creatures. Continual wars with the Tatars, and 
a scarcity of grain, rendered the reign of one of 
the best intentioned princes calamitous. He 
died in the 16th year of his reign, 32 b. c. 



HAN DYNASTY. 243 

Cbing-te, his son, )iad from his earliest youth 
Studied Hjtie clasisjbcs. He entrusted the gpyern- 
ment pf the eivjpire to his maternal uncles, who 
yiery m9U engrossed aU authority ; but in order to 
obyiate tbedavgeirousqonsequences, which might 
aris^ from overweenjmg power, the emperor 
created an opposition. However, he did not pos- 
sesBS the s^lf-cpmiuand to adopt such measures 
as might ultimately have restored peace. 

He was one day riding in his chariot, when 
he ipet one of his wives, called Pan-tsae, and 
requested her to ascend and sit near him. She 
replied : ** )n pur old pictures, we observe the 
most celebrated emperors surrounded by a 
number of sages. Those of the Hea, Chang, 
and Chow d3aia8ties9 who lost the empire to their 
respective families, are represented in the midst 
of women, who were the cause of their leading a 
voluptuous and effeminate life. I shall thus 
unwittingly, by mounting the chariot, furnish 
arms against your good reputation in the ages 
to come." The emperor praised her for express- 
ing such noble sentiments. He entered the 
apartments of one of his concubines, and fell in 
love with a beautiful actress. The empress and 
Pan-tsae withdrew in consequence from the 
eourt. Carried away by a most ardent love 
towards this woman, the emperor raised her 
father, Chaou-lin, to high rank, in order to con- 

r2 



244 HAN DYNASTY. 

ceal her low birth. One of the grandees repre- 
sented to the emperor the injustice he did to the 
nation, by following solely the bent of his pas- 
sion ; but enraged at such freedom, the emperor 
sentenced him to pluck out, for two years, the 
grass which grew upon the tombs of his ances- 
tors. He then raised her to the rank of empress ; 
but growing very soon tired of her, he selected 
another celebrated beauty for his concubine, 
whilst the new empress lived a most licentious 
life in her retirement. Many uncommon phe- 
nomena in nature, such as comets, earthquakes, 
inundations, &c., disquieted the mind of this vi- 
cious prince, who was lost to the world by liber- 
tinism. But though weak in the administration 
of justice, he had cruelty enough to send poison 
to his former empress, because she had endea- 
voured to regain his affection and her rank. 
He died suddenly, in the year 8, b. c. unregret- 
ted ; and his successor, Gae-te, a nephew of his, 
ascended the vacant throne. He was a man of 
a great mind ; but, notwithstanding his severity 
against the grandees, he could not put a stop to 
all the cabals of his court, which had long be- 
come a scene of faction. He died in the same 
year in which our blessed Saviour came on earth. 
Had he reigned longer, China might have been 
freed from a number of insolent and oppressive 
nobles. The grandson of Yuen-te, though only 



HAN DYNASTY. 245 

nine years of age, both by the empress and an 
ambitious noble, Wang-mang, was proclaimed 
emperor, under the remarkable name of Ping-te, 
peaceful emperor, — prince of peace. 

The reins of government were now entirely in 
the hands of Wang-mang, who was unwearied 
in the pursuit of honours and emoluments* Of 
his treasures he was liberal, and thus gained the 
hearts of the people and the literati. To render 
his administration the more glorious, he raised 
the descendants of Confucius, of the sixteenth 
generation, to a very high rank in the empire, 
which, from that time, has been hereditary. 
The glory of his government was also greatly 
heightened in the eyes of the people by an em- 
bassy from the South. We are not able to 
ascertain from what state ; but the ambassadors 
brought, amongst their tribute, a rhinoceros, and 
tendered their country to the son of Heaven. 
But nothing gained him so much popularity as 
his simplicity and affability of manners, joined 
to a tender care for the welfare of the people, 
especially in times of scarcity. Aware of the 
obstacles which the empress might throw in his 
way, in the prosecution of his projects, he flat- 
tered her as a woman, and prevailed upon one 
of the Han-tan-yoos to send her a princess as a 
servant. But woe unto him who opposed his 
measures : if he were of royal extraction, he 



246 HAN DYNASTY. 

was soon td fkll a victim to Waog-mang's ambi- 
tion. When he stood in want of monfejr to follow 
up his plans, he opened the graved, and robbed 
the buried riches. Such sacrilege ptocilred him 
idany enemies, which he, however, conciliated 
by bribes. Having secured a greslt matiy par- 
tisans, he pfoisoned the emperor ; biit, to take 
away all suspicion, pretended to be ready to 
sacrifice his life for the recovery of the prince, 
and acbordingly drew up a prayer. Ping-te 
died shortly afterwards, in the year five of our 
era. Wang-mang had now realised all his 
wishes; he was entrusted with the regency of 
the empire, as guardian to a child of two years 
old, a descendant of Seuen-te. As soon, however, 
as he had put down the rebels, who refused to 
obey the regency, he threw ofi^ the mask, and 
declared himself emperor. To settle himself 
more firmly upon the throne, he degraded all 
the descendants of the Han family to the rank 
of the common people ; and gave to his reign 
the name of Sin-new. After having irritated 
the Tatars by treachery, he had not only to 
combat these fierce etiemies, but also to fight 
against numerous corps of rebels, who had de- 
clared for the Han dynasty. But he was gifted 
with a great soul, and fully possessed the art of 
conciliating opposite parties. Greater than the 
evils inflicted by war, was the drought, and a 



HAN DYSAHTY. 247 

very severe frost, which utterly destroyed the 
whole crop. Fan-chung, one of the great leaders 
of the Han party, had collected a numerous, 
undisciplined army, with which he laid waste 
the whole country. His soldiers had painted 
their eyebrows red, in order to indicate that 
they were ready to fight to the last, till the 
blood flowed from their veins. He introduced 
a song amongst his soldiers and amongst the 
people, wherein it was said : '* If you adhere to 
the red eyebrows, you are safe : without incur- 
ring danger, you may set Wang-kwang at de- 
fiance; but if you desire death, follow his 
leader." Lew-shung and Lew*sew, two scions 
of the illustrious family of Han, resolved to 
revenge the disgrace done to their family^ 
They, therefore, collected an army, encouraged 
by the prognostication of an astrologer, that 
Lew-sew was some time to become an emperor, 
and ultimately proved successful against the im- 
perial forces. Wang-mang was shut up in Chang- 
nan ; the rebels took it by storm ; he fled to 
save himself from death ; whilst ha exclaimed : 
'' If Heaven grants me courage, what can the 
Hans do to me?'' But in the general confusion, a 
soldier cut off his head, which was openly ex- 
posed to the mob. All insulted the mortal 
remains of the usurper ; some even tore out his 
tongue, and devoured it. His body was cut to 



248 HAN DYNASTY. 

pieces, and thrown into the street, where the 
populace trod it under foot. Thus ended an am- 
bitious man, who, with the talents he possessed, 
might have renovated all China ; a. d. 23. 

Lew-heuen was now raised to the throne by 
the soldiers, and received the name of Wae- 
yang-wang. But the country was now in a 
state of anarchy, and his whole reign nothing 
but continual war against the various leaders 
of factions. 

Lew-sew, his successor, who, when upon the 
throne, adopted the name of Kwang-woo-te ; 
was forced by his soldiers, a. d. 25, to become 
emperor. His first act was to declare a general 
amnesty, by which he gained the love of the 
people, and conciliated the interests of the 
various parties. But, notwithstanding his pa- 
cific disposition, the people were too much 
accustomed to war and rapine, and too much 
embittered against each other, to listen to the 
emperor's injunctions. The most dishonourable 
war in which he was engaged, was that, carried 
on against the princesses, who, at the head of 
a numerous army, had declared Keaou-che, 
or. Cochin-china, free. Since the time of Che- 
hwang-te, the southern parts of the present 
Chinese empire, comprised under the general 
name of Min and Yue, now the provinces of 
Canton, Fuhkeen, and Kwang-se, had acknow- 



HAN DYNASTY. 249 

ledged the imperial sway. They pushed their 
conquest farther, and subdued also Cochin- 
china and Tunkin, which at that time bore the 
nameof Kaou-che. Two spirited women, how- 
ever lamented the degradation of their country, 
which groaned under the heavy oppression of 
some Chinese mandarins : these heroines were 
two sisters, of royal extraction, Ghing-tse and 
Ching-urk. In order to carry on the war more 
effectually, they courted the friendship of the 
adjacent petty states, and gained several battles 
against the imperial armies ; but, when the Chi- 
nese general, Ma-yuew, marched against Ching- 
tse, who was the mother of the hereditary prince, 
her troops, after an obstinate battle, gave way, 
and Cochin-china was again reduced to a 
dependant state. 

China gained, under the reign of this excellent 
emperor, great advantages over the barbarians 
of the frontiers, by dividing their strength, and 
reviving the homage of several powerful princes 
or Tan-yoos. The Huns, who constantly waged 
war, were gradually much reduced in number ; 
and as they found an equal match in the western 
tribes of Bukharia, they became more and more 
harmless. Kwang-woo-te died, after a glorious 
reign of thirty-two years ; having in a masterly 
manner, maintained the dignity of the empire, 
under many and great troubles; a. d. 68. 



2fi0 HAN DTNA8TY. 

His son, Ming-te, was well versed in the 
doctrines of the ancient classics* He had an 
excellent teacher, and possessed a clear un- 
derstanding. His wife, the empress Ma^he« 
a daughter df the celebrated general Ma-yueni 
was a most excellent woman, and gveatly con- 
tributed towards rendering illustriow the name 
of her husband. 

In the year 65, he is said to have seen in 
a dream, a giant. This vision brought to his 
remembrance a etaying of Confucius, ''that 
the Holy One was in the West/' Upon 
the representation of the prince of Choo, his 
brother, with a deputation of eighteen mandarins 
was sent to Hindoostan, (Teen-^chuh,) for it 
was rumoured, that a great teacher had risen 
in that country. They returned with Ho«shangp 
a Buddhist priest, who brought with him several 
of their classics in the Pali language, and 
presented the emperor with a lai^e picture of 
Buddha. Thus the superstition which teaches 
nothing but ibe most absurd system of idolatry 
and atheism, entered China, where it has main- 
tained its ground up to the present day. The 
prince of Choo, anxious to gain partisans, in 
order, according to a prediction, to ascend 
the throne, patronized this new doctrine. Itot 
instead of rising to so high a dignity, he lost 
even his fief, and was banished. We aie 



HAW DYNASTY. 261 

astonudted, that thfe Gbinese^ se averse to inno- 
yatidns, should have adopted Buddhism ; and 
thai an etnperor, like Ming-te, it^ho established 
sdiools iitid promoted education to a Tety great 
extent^ should hare introduced k religion, which 
enjoins a state of stupefaction and apathy, as 
the nearest approach to celestial blissj Never- 
theless all this took placfe. No £uther proof is 
wanting, that human reason is prone to error ; 
and that we ought, with the deepest venera- 
tion, to receive thfe oracles of God, the only 
glides in the (lath of truth. From this period 
we may date the general sptead of Buddhism 
otbr Eastern Asia, which seems to hate been 
hitherto confined to India. 

The reign of this emperor was greatly dis- 
turbed by the continual wars of the Tatars ; 
who having been cruelly treated, revenged the 
injury done to them by spreading devasMtion 
alimg the whole western frontier. 

Chang-te, his successor, ascended the throne 
in 73. His noble-minded mother, Ma-che, re- 
sisted the desire of the emperor to confer prin- 
cipalities upon her nearest relations ; but notwilii- 
standing her prudent advice, he followed the 
counsel of his ministers. His uncles, who re- 
ceived principalities and titles, very soon abused 
the power granted them ; and again threw the 
empire into manifold troubles. Under Ho-te, 



252 HAN DYNASTY, 

his son, 89, Tow-heen, the brother of the em- 
press, repulsed the Tatars with great slaughter, 
to save himself from disgrace, which he had 
incurred by his insolent behaviour. He pene- 
trated to the distance of 3000 le into their 
country, and erected upon a mountain a mo- 
nument, recording the valour and victory of 
the Chinese troops. The Tatars bore their igno- 
miny with submission. Tow-heen, flushed with 
success, returned to the capital ; he received 
the rank of field marshal of the empire, and be* 
haved like a son of fortune, cruel, and haughty 
to his inferiors. However, his arrogance led to 
the most injurious consequences upon his family, 
who were all degraded from the high rank they 
had hitherto held, and sent into exile, with 
the exception of the virtuous Tow-kwo. He 
introduced the custom, fraught with dangerous 
results, of raising eunuchs to the highest 
offices of state. This infraction afterwards 
caused the ruin of many an emperor. 

Under his reign lived a celebrated lady, Pan- 
hwuy-pan, sister to the historian Pankoo. She 
was descended from an ancient, noble family, 
and excelled in learning, as well as in modesty. 
Married to one of the literati at the age of four«> 
teen years, she acquitted herself of the duties of 
a wife and mother so excellently, that she has 
become a pattern for all succeeding ages. Her 



HAN DTNASTT. 253 

brother Pankoo, was just engaged in the revi*- 
sion of Sze-ma-tseen, and the composition of 
the history of Han, when she became a widow, 
and assisted him materially in his labours ; when 
Tow-heen being disgraced, her brother shared, 
as a partisan, the same lot, and died of grief in 
a prison. The emperor to make up, at least, in 
some degree, for the dishonour done to the fa- 
mily, assigned to Pan-hwuy-pan apartments in 
the palace. Here she published the joint labour 
of herself and her brother, a history, which com- 
mences with Kaou-tsoo, and ends with Wang- 
mang, from 206 b. c. to a. d. 23. She became 
finally the instructress of the empress, and was 
the leading star of the imperial court. In this 
capacity she wrote her instructions for females, 
comprised in seven rules, in which she asserts 
that the female sex is the lowest of the human 
species, and that to them belongs the execution 
of inferior duties. Formerly, when a daughter 
was born, she was laid on the ground upon rags, 
where she was for three days forgotten and ne- 
glected. On the third day the father presented 
her to the family, whilst he laid before her 
some bricks, her only toys. '* Think on the 
degraded state, young ladies, which nature has 
assigned to you, and fulfil your duties accord- 
ingly! But the daughter does not always re- 
main a daughter ; when, having reached the 



254 HAN DYKASXT. 

State of matusky^ sbe fae^omes a wik ; and jit 19 
ia this state of life iJ^at she has to show the 
jaost implicit obedience to her lord; hier #11 
belongs to bar husband; she has nothing to 
,claim, notbjag to possess ; her husband is her 
baayeOi her all. H^r bttsbaml possesses th^ 
nost unbounded tibeiEty ; Im vwy marry duiipg 
tiie life of bJis wife, or a&ej her death, as many 
wives as be chooses ; but ia a woman a second 
joarria^e is orimiQal. She has to obey the re- 
lations of her hasbaod wi<th .pious rey^rence, and 
to serve them in every w,ay. EyiCn jvhen fsjiffi is 
repudiated and negleiDted, she ought to jbye and 
.to obey her hui^nd." Such we the sentiments 
rof China's greatest daughter upon her own sex ; 
if she had said, you ought to he the abject 
alaves of your husbands, she would have comr 
firehended her sev^n rules injoue sentence. But 
rthis most unnatui»l degradation of the f$ur sex 
recoils with double force upon their oppressors, 
who will remain semi-barbarians, so long as 
they enslave the fairest ajud most virtuous pcixt 
.of the Jtiuman species. This celebrated writer 
died in the 70th year of her age, praised and 
jcegretted by all the learned of the empire. Sbe 
is still coosideiped as one of the best writers 
that China ever produced. 

Chang-te was still a child in the cradle, when 
lie was proclaimed emperor, a. d. 106. The 



HAN DYNASTY. 255 

empress, his mother, established a regency, of 
which she constituted hersdl* the chief. About 
this time great calamities afflicted the country : 
the heavy rains had caused a gveat inundation, 
which utt^ly destroyed the harrest. In a 
country so populous as China, without any in- 
tereourse wifth foreigners, this is the greatest 
eril which can happen. The empiess ord^!ed 
the graxNlees to examine their <;onduct, in order 
to discover whether there was any thing whiiah 
oofuld provoke the wrath of Heaven. She also 
humbled herself by discarding all the pageantry 
of her exalted station ; set at large the prisoners 
who were in tibe dungeons for slight offences, and 
diminished the punishments of great criminals. 
Notwithstanding her sincere endeavours to ap* 
pease the wradi of Heaven, h^ son died in the 
same year. Instead of giving herself ovw to 
hopeless despair, she acted worthy of a pupil of 
the great Pan-hwuy-pan, by appointing her 
nephew, Gan-te, a boy of fourteen years old, 
emperor, a. d. 107. New calamities pouied down 
upon the empire, and the people began to 
accuse the royal family of having incurred the 
displeasure of Heaven. Robbers, and worthless 
vagabonds, taking advantage of the popular be- 
lief, set at defiance the established .authority. 
The Tatars, on the northern and western fron- 
tiers, attacked the empire with redoubled force. 



256 HAN DYNASTY. 

SO that all China groaned under these multU 
farious evils. Great hopes had been enter- 
tained of the young emperor, who had already 
reached the 26th year of his age, without being 
adyanced to the throne. But the empress un- 
derstood his character ; he loved pleasure, and 
lived solely for the gratification of his inordinate 
desire ; and she, therefore, kept the helm of go- 
vernment in her own hand, till four years be- 
fore his death, which happened a. d. 125. He 
had at this time seized by force upon the go- 
vernment, and exiled the partisans and relations 
of his aunt ; but his glory only lasted four yeais. 
Yen-che, the empress-dowager, desiring by her 
intrigues to dispossess the lawful heir to the 
crown, was imprisoned ; and Shun-te, at the age 
of twelve years, declared emperor, a. d. 126. 
Anxious to form a cabinet of the most renowned 
men, he was told that a celebrated scholar, Fan- 
yin, who lived in retirement, deserved the most 
important office. The philosopher refused the 
pressing invitations ; but when the emperor 
finally sent him a letter written with his own 
hand, he yielded. At his first appearance at 
court, the emperor was highly offended at his 
rudeness, in not paying due respect to Heaven's 
Bon. ** Know, you not," he demanded, ** that I 
can kill and grant life ; exalt and degrade ; en- 
rich and impoverish?" . Fan-yin replied, "The 



HAN DTNASTV. 257 

tenn of my life and death rests with Heaven/' 
The emperor, satisfied with this reply, gave him 
an appointment ; but Fan-yin very soon grew 
tired of court intrigues, and retired to his former 
solitude, where he was frequently consulted by 
his master upon very important points. 

The prince of Ting-yuen was married to an 
imperial princess; but her scandalous beha- 
viour, irritating her husband, he murdered her, 
and cut her body to pieces ; for which crime he 
was sentenced to death, and suffered the punish- 
ment without causing any regret. Shun-te 
would have done well, and doubtless rendered 
his people happy, if he had not given himself 
up to the pernicious counsels of the eunuchs, 
who, during his reign, became very powerful. 
It is a sure sign of the decay of a monarchy, 
when women and eunuchs bear sway. Towards 
the end of his reign, he had the mortification to 
see, that a powerful party of malcontents rose 
in arms. But they were appeased, and brought 
back to their duty by Chang-ying, the new creat- 
ed governor of Kwan-ling, who removed the 
cause of their complaints, — the tyranny of the 
mandarins. 

Chang-te, a child, bore unconsciously the im- 
perial name for one month, 145. After his 
death, the nobles chose Chih-te, an imperial 
prince, nine years of age. Though so very 

VOL. I. s 



258 HAN DYNASTY. 

young, he showed a spirit of prudence, which 
was a pledge of his future usefulness. '' Of what 
advantage is it," he said, " that my ancestors 
encouraged learning, and promoted education, 
if you do not send your children to school?" 
Struck with this remark, every person admired 
the wisdom of the young philosopher ; and in 
less than a month the imperial college was fre- 
quented by more than twenty thousand students. 
Desirous of enjojdng the sight of so sudden a 
change in the habits of the people, he went to 
the college, where he met with Leang-ke, a bro- 
ther of the empress. As soon as he saw him, 
he exclaimed, ^' Lo, there is the formidable ge- 
neral !" The officer could not forgive this re- 
mark ; and, prompted by revenge, he poisoned 
the food of the young prince, who died instan- 
taneously, A. D. 146. 

Hwan-te, the creature of the empress, and 
Leang-ke, ascended the throne in 147. A con- 
spiracy to raise the rightful heir to the throne, 
had almost disconcerted the vast plans of Leang- 
ke ; but the conspirators were beheaded, and 
their bodies thrown into the common sewer. 
Amongst their number was Le-koo, who suf- 
fered innocently. Kwo-leang, one of his dis- 
ciples, went to court in order to petition govern- 
ment to permit him to bury his master. He had 
taken in one hand a hatchet, in the other the 



HAN DYNASTY. 259 

memorial, to show his readiness to die, if his re- 
quest were refused. However, he was dismissed 
without having gained his point. When his 
friends heard of this, they hastened in great 
numbers to the place where the remains of their 
beloved master were deposited, and built a shed, 
in which they wept and mourned for twelve 
days ; until the empress, touched with compas- 
sion, allowed them to bury their master, which 
they did with great pomp. 

The harvest had for several years been very 
bad; and a drought destroying the crop of 153, 
more than 100,000 families of the province Ke- 
chooleft their homes in search of a better country. 
The mandarins of this district, in order to jus- 
tify their behaviour, produced their defence, but 
were condemned by an imperial envoy, Choo- 
moo, who put them in prison to await their 
final doom. Many of the mandarins, despair- 
ing of life, committed suicide ; others suffered by 
the hands of the executioner. Amongst them 
was the father of an eunuch, who obtained 
leave to bury his parent. His funeral was very 
sumptuous, and much treasures were interred 
with the body. Choo-moo, indignant at this 
useless waste of riches, opened the grave, and 
procured from the jewels which it contained, 
food for the people. He was, in consequence of 

s2 



260 HAN DYNASTY. 

this sacrilege, arrested by the mandarins, and sent 
to the capital to receiTe punishment ; but when 
the people heard this, they went in a large body 
to the court, and represented the virtues and 
love of Cho-moo towards the nation, in language 
so ene^etic, that the emperor instantly released 
Choo-moo, and appointed him to a very high 
office in the state. 

The Eastern Tatars, the Seen-pe and Woo- 
hwan, had frequently waged war against the 
empire, with the design of possessing them- 
selves of Leaon-tung. Anxious to avoid repe- 
tition, we have not dwelt upon these constant 
wars which, in fact, were mere incursions, at one 
time repelled, and, after a short space of time, 
renewed. Amidst the general and continual 
turmoil of martial exploits, we finally lose sight 
of the undaunted and savage Huns ; some of their 
tribes having acknowledged the supremacy of 
China, committed only occasional depredations; 
while others were fighting against their neigh- 
bours, and therefore wanted leisure to turn their 
arms against China. Undaunted by their many 
reverses, they finally resolved to turn their whole 
strength towards the west; they therefore di- 
rected their march towards the Wolga and Oxus, 
and settled in the steppes, east of the Caspian 
sea, where they were frequently involved in 



HAN DYNASTY. 261 

hostilities with Persia. But growing at length 
more cirilized, they became acquainted with the 
comforts of a settled life. 

A second division of their hordes directed their 
march towards the north-west, and crossed the 
Imaus. Inured to the dreadful cold of Siberia, 
they lost nothing of their natural ferocity ; but, 
unable to withstand the reiterated attacks of the 
Seen-pe, their implacable enemies, and of other 
tribes, they emigrated farther to the west. But 
the country had already been taken possession 
of by the Alani, a tribe equally fierce and brave 
with the Huns ; but whose love of freedom was 
still greater, since they did not suffer slavery 
amongst them. Being descended from the Ger- 
manic and Sarmatian tribes, war was their prin- 
cipal occupation. A naked scimetar stuck in Uie 
ground was the sole object of their worship ; the 
scalps of their enemies formed, like couree shells, 
the costly trappings of their horses ; they treated 
with contempt the warrior, who patiently awaited 
a natural lingering death. Unwearied in war, 
and considering all nations as their enemies, they 
had spread terror and desolation over all Uie 
regions of the Caspian sea, but encountered on 
the Tanais, their masters, the Huns. Their king 
was slain, their nation dispersed, and the re- 
mainder of this once large nation, found an as- 
sy lum in the inaccessible mountains of the 



262 HAN dynasty; 

Caucasus. The torrent of these immense swarms 
of barbarians, increased by the fugitive Alani, 
rushed further towards the west with irresistible 
force. There the Huns met the well disciplined 
Ostrogoths, who shuddered at their approach, a. d. 
373. These semi-barbarians viewed the Huns as 
the offspring of witches and demons, who had 
just emerged from the boundless deserts of 
Asia, in order to inundate and destroy the world. 
Leang-ke, in order to establish himself in 
the emperor's favour, was very anxious to adopt 
a young lady for his daughter, whom the em- 
peror had married and honoured with the title 
of queen. Her mother obstinately refused the 
offer, and greatly irritated Leang-ke. Prompted 
by ungovernable rage, he attempted to assas- 
sinate the mother, but was prevented by the 
interposition of the emperor. Leang-ke, per- 
ceiving that his fall was unavoidable, now com- 
mitted suicide, to save himself from disgrace ; 
and his property, amounting to the sum of five 
million taels, was divided amongst the poor, who 
all rejoiced at the fall of this minion. If the 
monarch had acted with equal decision in his 
future career, many evils might have been 
avoided ; but he was weak enough to entrust 
the administration of justice to eunuchs, who 
greatly abused the confidence reposed in them. 
Happy was it for the empire, that excellent ge« 



HAN DYNASTY. 263 

nerals defended the frontiers against the barbari- 
ans, otherwise China might have been conquered. 
Ling- te, a boy of twelve years, succeeded to 
the throne, 168. It seems to have been cus- 
^tomary to seat boys upon the throne, in order 
to establish, during their minority, a regency, 
which might usurp power and oppress the people. 
His relation, the empress dowager, though an 
excellent woman, was very weak-minded. Ca- 
joled by the flattery of the eunuchs, she en- 
trusted them with the reins of government, at the 
same time, that the friends of the people and the 
literati were persecuted and thrown out of 
office. The sudden death of the empress was 
ascribed to these eunuchs, in a placard, which 
was stuck up at the palace. Highly offended 
¥rith this aspersion, the ministers endeavoured 
to discover the author ; but being disappointed 
in their researches, they appointed an officer 
to patrol round the palace, and institute con- 
stant inquiries, instead of which, they arrested 
a thousand literati, who were all condemned to 
death, and executed. Not satisfied with having 
murdered so many, they punished with death, 
every attempt to undermine their authority. In 
184, the plague raged in the country. A disciple 
of Laou-keun, pretended to have discovered a 
remedy, and his cures attracting great notice, 
many thousand disciples followed him. When 



264 HAN DYNASTY. 

Chang-keo, saw his popularity increase, he 
aimed at the crown; but his plot being dis- 
covered, he was condemned to be executed, 
with a large number of conspirators. How- 
ever, before he could be apprehended, he had 
already collected a large army, which wore as 
a badge yellow caps. They committed great 
ravages wherever they went, but were very soon 
checked in their victorious career, by the im- 
perial troops ; which, after several engagements, 
entirely defeated and dispersed them. 

The emperor died in 1 89 : his memory is stig- 
matized with infamy : he was in fact no em- 
peror, but a slave to the eunuchs. 

Scarcely had he closed his eyes when a 
dreadful conspiracy broke out against his effe- 
minate ministers. Ho-tsin, had given orders to 
the army to collect in the capital, and vowed 
terrible vengeance upon the eunuchs. As soon 
as the empress was apprized of the approach 
of the soldiers, she dismissed all the eunuchs 
from their offices, and ordered them to leave the 
capital. After disgrace, Ho-tsin was invited to 
the palace ; but, scarcely had he entered, when 
the gates were shut. Chang-yang upbraiding 
him with his ingratitude towards his bene- 
factors, the eunuchs, who had raised him from a 
butcher to be a great general, Ho-tsin was about 
to reply, when he was instantly dispatched, and 



HAN DYNASTY. 265 

his head cut off. His friend, Yuen-chaou» 
waited patiently without, but seeing that Ho* 
tsin did not appear, he requested, in a loud 
voice, that he might hasten his return, the 
grandees being about to hold a consultation. 
The eunuchs, instead of giving an answer, 
threw his head out of the window. Astonished 
at this sight, Yuen-chaou grew furious : '^ Ver- 
mins," he exclaimed, ** you have dared to lay 
your hands on a grandee of the first rank. 
Come with me, my friends, and revenge your 
master with fire and sword.'' In an instant, 
they made good their threat. After having set 
fire to the gates of the palace, they rushed in 
and massacred every person, without distinc- 
tion, suffering none to escape ; even beardless 
youth shared in the same destruction. More 
than two thousand individuals fell by the hands 
of the furious avengers. Tung-cho, one of the 
principal generals, arriving very soon after the 
massacre, discarded the partisans of the heir 
to the crown, and substituted in his stead Lew- 
hae. The empress, with her son, whom she ten- 
derly loved, was confined in a remote part of the 
palace. Peen-te, the unhappy young prince, dur- 
ing his confinement, made some verses, describ- 
ing his lot ; this roused the suspicion of the ty- 
rant, Tung-cho, who sent him a cup of poisoned 
wine. He dispatched Le-yu, a worthless wretch, 



266 HAN DYNASTY. 

with the cup : Peen-te wept at the sight of this 
potion, but Le-yu, laughing at his tears, said in 
mockery^ ** Drink, this is excellent wine, I have 
chosen it."-^" If it is so excellent," replied the 
empress, " why do you not drink first." Upon 
these words, Le-yu ordered the soldiers to ad- 
vance. The empress on being presented ¥rith 
the cup, almost fainted ; she threw her arms round 
the neck of her son, and wept bitterly ; but their 
tears, which would have melted a stone, had no 
•effect on the steeled heart of Le-yu. Turning 
to him, she said : '' Blood-thirsty tiger, will you 
complete your crimes by laying your sacrilegious 
hands on your master and the empress ? Righte- 
ous Heaven will avenge our cause. Your villanies 
have reached their full height, your infamous 
race shall not escape the punishment you de- 
serve." Hearing this, Le-^yu became quite fu- 
rious, and threw the empress out of the window. 
Her waiting maids and son attacked the mon- 
ster ; but at that critical moment the soldiers 
entering, forced the prince to drink the potion, 
when he instantly expired. 

Heen-te, who was nominally raised to the 
throne in 190, possessed neither power nor in- 
fluence. Tung-cho ruled with cruel despotism 
over the greater part of the empire. He at first 
plundered the capital, Lo-yang, burnt the pa- 



HAN DYNASTY. '267 

lace, and almost the i^hole city, and afterwards 
committed sacrilege upon the imperial tombs. 
Loaded with the spoil and curses of the nation, 
he hastened with the young emperor towards 
Chang-gon. Every governor began to levy troops, 
and the whole empire was in a state of fermenta- 
tion. But they did not unite their strength against 
the common enemy, so that Tung-cho found suf- 
ficient time to fortify himself near Thang-gan, 
where he built immense granaries, and estab- 
lished a large harem. Ghung-yuen, one of his 
courtiers, remarked to him that he had seen a black 
Tapour rising ; Tung-cho made the next day a 
great feast, to which he invited all his grandees. 
Whilst they were sitting at table, the head of 
Chung-yuen was presented to Tung-cho, who 
heartily laughed at this horrible spectacle, but 
none of the guests dared to lift up their eyes. 
Such unheard of cruelty did not remain very 
long unrevenged. Two of his most determined 
enemies, obtaining from the emperor permission 
to dispatch the monster, cut off his head, threw 
it over the wall, and exposed his carcase to the 
rabble. As he had been very fat, the people set fire 
to it, and it burnt for a considerable time. The 
rejoicings at the death of this cruel misanthrope 
were general. The historian, Tsae-yong, was Ibe 
only individual who wept. He was immediately 



268 HAN DYNASTY, 

imprisoned, and demanded the only faYour, of 
being permitted to finish his history; but he 
died the following night in his dungeon. The 
murderers of Tung-cho suffered Yery soon for 
their temerity, for a large army of his partisans 
attacked Chung-gan, stormed the city, and mas- 
sacred the perpetrators of the murder. The 
country after this fell into a state of anarchy, 
the stronger party swaying the empire, and op- 
pressing it with relentless cruelty. The em- 
peror was a mere cipher, and his whole life a 
concatenation of misery. To increase the trou- 
ble, the yellow caps gained strength, and robbed 
and plundered with impunity. Many fled from 
their own country, and sought refage with the 
Tatars, whom they were anxious to engage in 
their national feud. Tsaou-tsaou, a man of great 
talent and wisdom, had to fight his own and 
the imperial battles against a faction, which by 
union might haYO been formidable. His suc- 
cess, the fruit of bis prudent measures, procured 
him the title of grand general of China. By 
the adYice of his friends, he adopted the title of 
emperor, but did not long enjoy this honour, for 
he died shortly afterwards, a. d. 220. His son, 
Tsaou-pe, was equally respected by the goYer- 
nors. Heen-te, a weak prince, i^prehensiYe that 
Tsaou-pe might usurp a dignity, which he himself 



HAN DTNASTY. 269 

could not maintain, willingly delivered the seals 
of the empire to the young hero, who thrice re- 
fused to accept them. To establish his autho- 
lity upon a firmer basis, he prevailed upon the 
emperor publicly to abdicate the throne. Tsaou- 
pe offered the imperial sacrifice to Shang-te, 
and received in imitation of Shun, the two daugh- 
ters of the ex-emperor in marriage. However, 
there still remained a scion of the Han family, 
Lew-pei, who having heard, that the emperor 
had abdicated the throne, assumed, by the ad- 
vice of his friends, the imperial dignity, under 
the name of Chaou-le-hwang-te. With him 
the Chinese commence the How-han dynasty, 
which only lasted from 221 to 263, and num- 
bered two emperors. They divide the forego- 
ing line of emperors into Se-han and Tung-han, 
eastern and western Han, the latter begins 
with Hwang-woo. 

The history of this period is not minutely de- 
scribed. A historical novel, the most popular of 
all Chinese works, under the name of Tan- 
kwo — the three kingdoms — gives a true picture 
of the wars which were waged with unrelenting 
fury. Though the details are very dry, and in- 
termingled with fiction, the Chinese consider it 
as a true (Hcture of the manners of this most 
heroic age. This epoch, afterward, bore the 



270 HAN DYNASTY, 

name of San-fkwo — ^the three states; because 
the kingdoms, Han, Wei, and Woo, contended 
for the imperial crown, and did not acknow- 
ledge any one superior to their respective 
princes. 

About this time, three great events took place, 
which fully deserve our attention. 

During the reign of Hwan-te, the first fo- 
reigners, from the south-west, from Ta-tsin — 
Arabia, and Teen-chuh, arrived by sea in 
China, bringing tribute, and trading at Can* 
ton. This was the commencement of foreign 
intercourse. 

It was during the time of the Han dynasty, 
that the art of printing from blocks was in- 
vented. Thus the advantages of literature 
became more generally difiiised, and no em- 
peror could again destroy all books. This 
art, however, did not attract the attention of 
government until about 935, and seems to 
have been very little cultivated during seven 
centuries. 

During the reign of the Han, the sjrstem of 
choosing the mandarins from the literati, who 
had passed an examination, and obtained a de- 
gree, was first introduced. This is one of the 
greatest and most important regulations^ This 
extensive empire can only be said ta receive 



HAN DTNASTY. 271 

Stability in its present constitution, as far as 
this plan is strictly and impartially followed. 

Chaou-lee-te enjoyed only for a few years the 
dignity of Heaven's son ; and even this short 
time was embittered by feuds. He gave the 
best instruction to his son, a promising prince, 
and anticipated his happy reign with all the 
fondness of a dying parent. 

To facilitate the understanding of the history 
of the San-kwo, we giye a short outline. 

The How-han, or Shuh, was that state which, 
being ruled by the posterity of the Han family, 
conferred upon its prince the imperial dignity. 
The Chinese historians acknowledge them only 
as their legitimate emperors. Han comprised 
only two provinces. Pa and Shuh, and held the 
court at Ching-tav, in Sze-chuen. After the 
reign of How-te, this dynasty became extinct^ 
A* D. 265. 

The Wei state, as we have already observed, 
was founded by Tsaou-tsaou. The territory be* 
longing to it, comprised the greater part of 
northern China; the capital being at Lo*yang, 
in Honan. After Tsaou-pe, four other princes 
sat upon the throne ; but the whole family was 
dethroned at the period when the Han dynasty 
lost the empire. 

Woo, comprising the southern states of China, 



272 HAN DYNASTY. 

WB& founded by the celebrated Sun-keen, who 
had rendered so great services to the empire by 
extirpating the Yellow Caps. His son, Ta-te, 
declared himself emperor, and kept his court at 
Nanking. The duration of this state was the 
same with the two former. 

As soon as Tsaou-pe had closed his eyes, 
both the Shuh and Han princes were anxious 
to take advantage of the confusion which reign- 
ed throughout the Wei state; but they very soon 
learned that Tsaoii-juy had inherited the heroic 
spirit of his ancestors. But when he was dead, 
and a child was chosen as successor, they pos- 
sessed themselves of several parts of the Wei 
state. Choo-kwo-ko, general of the Woo forces, 
had advanced with a large army against Sin- 
ching, a city of Wei. The conmiandant kept 
the besieging army for a considerable time be- 
fore the city; but finally pretended to capitu- 
late. On the next morning, the besieging ge- 
neral perceived that the breaches were again 
made up by the houses which the commandant 
had pulled down, and asked him what he was 
going to do. The commandant answered : ** I 
am preparing my grave, and wish to buiy my- 
self under the ruins of Sin-chin g.'' Offended 
with this defiance, he attacked the city from all 
quarters; but was so valiantly received, that 



CHOW DYNASTY. 273 

he was forced to raise the siege. In the year 
262, a learned, eloquent doctor, of the Taou 
sect, appeared in the state of Wei, and held his 
meetings in a bamboo grove, where they formed 
a circle of seven sages, who freely indulged in 
wine, whilst they conversed upon the sciences ; 
but their life, passed in indolence and voluptu- 
ousness, attracting the notice of government, 
tfiis club was very soon suppressed. How-te, 
the emperor, being daily more and more circum- 
scribed in his power, he finally saw no other 
alternative but throwing himself into the arms 
of the prince of Wei. His son, Lew-chin, remon- 
strated against the adoption of this measure : 
" If we have no resource, and must perish, let 
us preserve our honour; let us rush upon the 
enemy with the few faithful troops we have 
retained ; if the Han dynasty is to end, let it 
end with our lives." How-te despising this he- 
roic resolution, sent the imperial seals to the 
prince of Wei ; which, when Lew-chin heard, 
he went with his spouse and children into the 
hall of ancestors, and, after having beheaded 
them, he took away his own life. Thus ended 
the celebrated Han dynasty ; during which flou- 
rished the greatest literary men that China has 
ever produced. The Han heroes are famous ; it 
is their age of chivalry. Haou-han, a good Han, 

VOL. I. T 



274 HAN DYNASTV. 

signifies, iii Chinese, a braye man. It is remaik- 
able, that, during the latter part of their reign, 
children sat upon the throne, and confusion 
filled the country ; the Han, perfecting what 
Chow had commenced, completed the forma- 
tion of the Chinese character ; and the mm of 
Han is a name in which the Chinese still glory. 



275 



MIDDLE AGES, 



A. D. 266—1324. 



CHAPTER XI. 

TSIN DYNASTY. 204 TO 420, A. D. 

Both the states of Woo and Shuh were en- 
feebled by continual wars. Wei only remained 
unshaken. Sze-ma-yen, a prince of Tsin, forced 
the prince of Wei to abdicate the throne, to 
which he raised himself, in 265. His first en- 
deavour was to remove all the partisans of the 
Han and Wei from court; and when he perceived 
that the tributary princes had lost all courage, 
he resolved to unite the whole empire under one 
head. Seven years after his abdication, How-te 
died an ignominious death. After many a hard- 
fought battle, the new emperor, Woo-te, proved 
victorious over Woo ; but the prince of Woo, 
Sun-haou, brought with him 5000 actresses, who 
corrupted the heart of the emperor, who thence- 

T 2 



276 TSIN DYNASTY. 

forth devoted all his time to pleasure. At the 
suggestion of his concubines, he formed a large 
park, where he rode about with his women, in a 
chariot drawn by rams, whilst the empire groan- 
ed under the iron rule of his uncle. Thus he 
passed the latter years of his reign, and died 
in 290. 

Hwuy-te, his successor, a youth without any 
talent, was governed by Rea-she, his wife, a 
cruel, vindictive woman, who had murdered a 
number of persons with her own hand. She took 
direful revenge upon Yang-seuen, the prime 
minister, and uncle to the emperor, who was 
stabbed and burnt, with all his family, by the 
imperial guard. After this murder, she starved 
the empress dowager, whom she hated with all 
her heart. The heir to the crown was a worth- 
less youth, and Kea-she resolved to ruin him. 
She, therefore, invited him to the palace, where 
she made him drunk. He uttered, during the 
excitement of the moment, treasonable words» 
which the empress caused to be written down, 
and shown to the emperor, who called the 
council together. The family of the prince, 
though entirely innocent, perished; and the 
prince himself was dispatched by poison ; but 
this heinous crime, which had been concerted 
by her enemies, proved her ruin ; for she was 
repudiated, and sent into exile. 



TSIN ' DYNASTY. 277 

The Huns, who remained on the Chinese fron- 
tiers, haying gradually become more civilized, 
they even sent their princes to be educated 
in Chinese learning; their tanyoos frequently 
entered into alliances with the Chinese, and 
both nations seemed to be reconciled to each 
other, when a new and more destructive inroad 
of the barbarians filled the country with con- 
sternation ; and in the midst of domestic and 
foreign troubles, the emperor expired, in 307. 

Hwae-te, a wise and intelligent prince, who 
was now called to the throne, did his utmost to 
quiet the empire. The king of Han, having 
grown powerful, proclaimed himself emperor, 
and threatened to drive the Tsin family from 
the throne: he, in fact, accomplished his de- 
sign ; his general having taken possession of Lo- 
yang, the capital, killed the hereditary prince, 
and took Hwae-te prisoner. The unhappy 
city had again to undergo pillage and destruc- 
tion. Hew-tsung, king of Han, who now consi- 
dered himself emperor, was a cruel and relent* 
less tyrant ; frequently, in a sudden fit of rage, 
killing his best friends, and showing no mercy 
to those who had offended him. His officersasked 
him whether he intended to imitate Ke^ and 
Chow. Struck with this question, he replied : 
'' I have hitherto been like a drunken man ; 
and, but for your zeal for my welfare, 1 should 



278 TSIN DYNASTY, 

not have been reclaimed. Receiye my sincere 
thanks for your loyalty." 

The greater part of the nation, penetrated by 
compassion, reluctantly saw their sovereign in 
the hands of a tyrant. Even the Tatars, under 
Topa-loo-sew, hastened to assist the Tsin £ei- 
mily ; and, in a bloody engagement, routed the 
Han troops. When Lew-tsung was informed of 
this disaster, he instituted a festival, dressed the 
emperor Hwae-te in black, and made him serve at 
the table ; but this degradation called tears into 
the eyes of the guests, and alienated the hearts 
of the people. To fill the cup of his crimes, he 
killed the emperor Hwae-te ; but had the morti- 
fication to see that Min-te, another rival of the 
Tsin family, was chosen to contend with him for 
the crown, 313. At his accession, the whole 
government was in the most wretched state; 
the mandarins had even no robes to appear be- 
fore him. He exhorted the people to be faithful 
to the reigning family ; but though the greater 
part of the nation willingly followed his banner, 
there was no unanimity ; and his subjects were 
often pillaged by large bands of robbers which in- 
fested the country. To fill the cup of misery, 
a troop of the Han horse surprised Chang-gan 
during the night, burnt down the suburbs, and 
forced the emperor to flee in all haste; but for this 
exploit, the Han army was severely punished 



TSIN DYNASTY. 279 

by the imperial soldiers, who revenged the dis- 
grace done to their master upon the enemy. 
But there being no money in the imperial trea- 
sury, the officers and soldiers of his army were 
forced by want to desert their unhappy master ; 
and the emperor, seeing that the whole world 
had forsaken him, resolved to surrender to Lew- 
tsung. Seated on a cart, drawn by oxen, with a 
coffin by his side, he arrived in the camp of 
the imperial general, Lew-yaou, who received 
him with the utmost kindness, and burnt his 
coffin. Lew-tsung sat on his throne, surrounded 
by imperial splendour; and when the sup- 
pliant emperor was brought before him, he 
ordered him to kneel down, and perform the 
usual obeisance. This humiliation touched the 
heart of Kew-yim, who shed streams of tears, 
and threw himself down upon the ground. The 
choleric Lew-tsung was highly offended with 
this show of compassion; he threw Kew-yun 
into prison, and executed him shortly after* 
wards. But, repenting of his precipitation, on 
the same day that Ming-te was d^raded to 
a prince of the second rank, he raised Kew-yun 
to the third, and had his body interred with 
all due honour. Sze-ma-juy, who, after the dis- 
grace of Ming-te, was promoted to the rank of 
governor-general of the empire, wept for three 
days over the unhappy lot of his master. 



280 TSIN DYNASTY. 

At an imperial hunt, Ming-te was ordered 
to march before Lew-tsung like a common 
soldier ; and afterwards to serve at the imperial 
table; and as one of his people fell upon the 
neck of the emperor, weeping most bitterly, 
this loyal subject was immediately dispatched. 
Such cruelties loudly cried for revenge ; the go- 
vernors of several districts collected their troops, 
and vowed to exterminate the monster Lew- 
tsung, . who, as soon as he heard of their ap- 
proach, assassinated Ming-te, 318 ; and thus be* 
lieved himself freed from all apprehension. 

.The governor-general, Sze-ma-juy, was, by 
the unanimous voice of the people, chosen em- 
peror. He was a kind and affable prince, well 
versed in ancient literature, and anxious to 
restore his degraded family. With him begins 
the Tung-tsin — eastern Tsin dynasty. On his ac- 
cession, he adopted the name of Yuen- te ; shortly 
afterwards, Lew-tsung died; and Lew-tsan, 
his son, was appointed his successor. The hour 
of dire vengeance, for all the crimes which the 
family of Han had committed, had now arrived : 
Kin-chun, a powerful noble, with a detachment 
of soldiers, entering the palace, drove them into 
the street, and massacred the whole, without 
distinction of age or sex. Then hastening to 
the tombs of Lew-yuen and Lew-tsung, he se- 
vered their heads from their trunks. He then 



TSIN DYNASTY. 281 

informed the Tsin family of the deeds he had 
done, to retaliate upon the Han for the disgrace 
which they had inflicted upon two emperors; 
and delivered to them the mortal remains of 
Hwae-te and Ming-te. But Lew-yaou appeared 
with a numerous army, to revenge Lew-tsung ; 
Kin-chun, with his whole family, was slaugh- 
tered; and the palace, with all the public 
buildings at Ping-yang, were reduced to ashes. 
The bodies of the murdered Han family were 
interred ; and ample justice done to their me- 
mory. Lew-yaou, at the head of his soldiers, 
now raged like a tiger ; whilst the emperor, of 
whom so great hopes had been entertained, 
remained an idle spectator. But he was, finally, 
attacked in his turn, by one of the creatures of 
Lew-yaou, who had declared himself indepen- 
dent. The disasters which followed all these 
measures, brought him to the grave, 322. 

Ming-te, the second emperor of the Tung-tsin 
dynasty, was surrounded by rebels as soon as he 
had ascended the throne ; but he proved finally 
victorious, and decapitated many of the ring- 
leaders. The body of Wang-teen, the principal 
author of all this bloodshed, was taken from 
the grave, his head cut ofi*, and exposed on the 
walls of the city. Amongst all the petty princes 
of China, there was only Le-heung, prince of 
Ching, who maintained tranquillity in his pos- 



282 TSIN DYNASTY. 

sessions. Had Ming-te lived longer, he might 
have restored peace to the empire ; but he died 
in 325. 

A child of five years, under the name of Ching- 
te, was in these troublesome times advanced to the 
throne ; which was again the signal for a gene- 
ral rebellion. However, China might rejoice, for 
many of the butchers of mankind, men who had 
grown old and hardened in cruelty, were snatched 
away by death; amongst whom was Chih-le, 
once a partizan of the Han family, afterwards 
an inveterate enemy of Leu-keaou, and a tyrant 
to the nation, who had assumed the imperial 
title, and governed the Chaou principality. His 
successor, Shih-hoo, erected a magnificent pa- 
lace, with all the splendour of the East, wheie 
more than 10,000 people lived, amongdt whom 
were the most beautiful damsels dressed in 
sumptuous robes, soothsayers, and astrologers, 
with a number of nimble bowmen. But the 
most remarkable corps was a regiment of tall 
and slender ladies, who, mounted on horseback, 
with splendid trappings and elegant robes, to 
set off their fine figure, served him for a body- 
guard. When he went out, these females played 
upon instruments, and entertained the guests at 
his sumptuous table. At the same time the 
people were starving, the harvest had been bad ; 
they looked up to their prince for relief, but 



TSIN DYNASTY. 283 

fouiid in him a heartless tyrant. Sheh-suy, his 
son, resolyed to kill his father^ in order to free 
the land from such a plague ; but the plot was 
discovered, and She-hoo degraded the unna- 
tural son, who was the heir to the crown » and 
murdered many innocent persons. A tribe of 
Tatars had at the same time settled themselves in 
Leaou-tung, and become tributary to the prince 
of Chaou, who, proud of his auxiliaries, imme- 
diately engaged in war. Ching-te, who, during 
this stormy period, had ruled his dominions in 
peace, and never interfered with the belligerent 
parties, died in 342, and had for his successor 
SLang-te. Shih-hoo,promptedby a false miracle, 
marched with a strong army and much baggage 
towards the imperial territories ; but his oppres- 
sions for the outfit of his army had been so ex- 
orbitant, that the nation was reduced to b^- 
gary ; he found many of his miserable subjects 
on his way, hanging on trees, who had com- 
mitted suicide, in order to escape the lingering 
death of gnawing hunger. Afraid of a general 
rebellion, he desisted from his design, and re- 
mained here. 

Kang-te, who was young, and debilitated by 
sickness, died in 344 ; and a babe of two years 
was raised to the throne, under the name of Muh- 
te, 345. 

In his sixteenth year he discarded his mother. 



284 TSIN DYNASTY. 

the regent, and began to rule for himself. His 
court was threatened with destruction by the 
daring and enterprizing prince of Yen, who col- 
lected a large army, in order to conquer the ter- 
ritories of the emperor. In this emergency, a 
hord of Tatars offered their services to the em- 
peror, who reluctantly assigned them some ter- 
ritory on the frontiers, and died very soon after- 
wards, A. D. 362. 

6ae-te was an intelligent prince, but he gave 
himself over to the dreams of the Taou sect, and 
studied the doctrine of immortality. In order 
to render the liquor of rejuvenescence more effec- 
tual, he was ordered to fast and to live upon 
this ambrosia ; the consequence of which was, that 
his health was ruined, and the strength of his 
mind lost. Thus he was obliged to entrust the 
care of government to the empress, his mo- 
ther, and died a lingering death in 365. His 
brother, Te-yih . reduced the state of Yen to 
obedience. Keen-wan died in the year of his 
accession to the throne, 372. Heaou-woo was 
fourteen years of age, when he presumed to take 
the reins of government in his hands, 376. The 
generals of Tsin, in the meanwhile, extended 
their conquests, and, after much slaughter, re- 
duced the greater part of the empire, to the 
obedience of their lawful master. But success 
rendering the generals overweening, they turned 



TSIN DYNASTY. 285 

their weapons against each other, and revolted 
from the standard of their sovereign, till the 
Yen family regained strength, and set them at 
defiance. His army conquered Tuh-keen, one 
of the Northern Tsin princes, who was on his 
march to the imperial capital, and had pro- 
claimed himself emperor. After the victory 
gained over the numerous forces of Tuh-keen, 
the emperor gave himself up to an indolent life, 
his councillors being the priests of Buddha, and 
old women, their votaries. One of his generals 
addressed his sovereign upon this subject: — 
" Prince," he said, *• the administration of go- 
vernment is now in the hands of petty officers, 
clerks, children of concubines, priests, old wo- 
men, and nurses :" and proceeding in this strain, 
he hoped to open the eyes of the weak prince ; but 
the emperor, when he was informed of the con- 
tents of this memorial, did not venture to read 
it. His end was similar to his life : having in 
a drunken fit, ofiended one of his wives, by 
telling her in jest, that when she should reach 
the age of 30, he would repudiate her, and substi- 
tute a younger wife in her place ; the queen 
became silent, made her husband drunk, and 
strangled him in bed, 396. His son and succes- 
sor, Gan-te, took no part in the government, re- 
maining, during all the wars and revolutions 
which took place, entirely ignorant of the state 



286 TSIN DYNASTY. 

of affairfi. It was under his reign, t^at Lew-joi, 
the founder of the celebrated Tsung dybasty, 
became known : he was born in Pong-ching, <^ 
a very poor family ; his mother died at his birth, 
and his father, being destitute of all means to 
provide for the new-bom babe, was about to let 
him die, when a charitable woman undertook to 
nurse him as her own son. The little boy pos- 
sessed much penetration, and studied literature 
with great ardour, but was forced, on account 
of his poverty, to live upon the sale of sandals. 
Being disgusted with the trade, he lost all his 
time by playing gambols with other boys ; every 
body supposed, he would prove a worthless 
man; but he enlisted as a soldier, and per- 
formed some extraordinary feats of valour ; re- 
pulsing a very powerful pirate, and restoring 
peace to the empire. 

Another formidable enemy appeared in the 
North. Shih-lun, chief of the €rou-gin Tatars, 
had become so powerful by subjecting other 
tribes to his sway, that he assumed the title of 
Khan, and became a scouige to the empire. 
Lew-yu had entered the service of Kwan-heuen, 
who had rebelled against Gran-te ; but desirous 
of signalizing himself, he revolted from his an- 
cient master. The emperor had joined Hwan- 
heuen ; but the army of the latter was routed, his 
fleet destroyed, and he himself killed« He was, on 



TSIN DYNASTY. 287 

that account, declared the protector of the em- 
pire, and did not bear this title in vain, for he 
fought bravely, and formed the design of sub- 
jugating the whole of China to the imperial 
sway. The feeble Gran-tc» who had irritated 
Lew-yu, by not recompensing his services well, 
was strangled in the palace, and Lew-yu de- 
clared in favour of Sze-ma-te-yuen, his jrother, 
who ascended the throne in 4 J 9, under the name 
of Kung-te. Not content with having sacrificed 
the emperor, Lew-yu killed almost the whole im- 
perial branch, in order to procure for himself 
access to the throne. Having been declared 
prince of Sung, he saw with displeasure the 
prudent measures, which the emperor took 
in the administration of affairs, and therefore 
resolved to assassinate him. But the villain 
whom he sent to execute this crime, failed when 
he stood before the emperor, and prostrated 
himself to implore pardon. Lew-yu, therefore, 
retired to his principality. Sung; but being a 
restless person, he could not be content without 
the imperial crown. He therefore returned to 
the capita], the emperor trembled at his ap- 
proach, and in order to free himself from terror, 
proposed to abdicate. A high scafibld, erected 
in the open field, sustained a throne, upon 
which Kung-te ascended, whilst Lew-yu stood 
at his side to read the abdication. After this 



288 TSIN DYNASTY. 

ceremony he descended, requested Lew-yu to 
mount upon the vacant throne, and rendered 
him the homage of a tributary prince. All the 
mandarins present imitated his example, the 
doom of the Tsin family was thus sealed. 

Under some of the preceding dynasties, war 
and bloodshed had desolated the country ; nor 
are the darkest times of Chinese history so 
full of horrible instances of cruelty and cold- 
blooded murder. China was a scene of rapine 
and of every crime ; scarcely any emperor hav- 
ing either the power or wish to put a stop to 
anarchy. The hand of the Lord rested heavily 
upon the country ; — a powerful nation became 
a band of cut-throats, led on by murderers. 



289 



CHAPTER XIL 



SUNG DYNASTY. 
FROM 420 TO 479, A. D. 

Lew-yu was far from having subdued the whole 
empire, the northern parts being entirely in 
the hands of other princes. The state Wei, 
founded by the To-pa Tatars, comprising the 
greater part of the northern regions, was then 
under the government of Tae-tsung-ming-yuen- 
te. Ke-fo-che ruled over three tribes of the 
Seen-pe, who had settled in the Pin-leang dis- 
trict, Shense province, and gave to their terri- 
tory the name of Se-tsin — Western Tsin ; He* 
leen-po-po held his court at Hea-choo, in the 
Ortous country, and had taken possession of 
Se-gan-foo in Shen-se ; the king of Yen had his 
dominion in Yung-pin-foo, Pih-che-le province : 
Tsew-kew had his court in Kan-choo, Shen-se 
province; Le-seun reigned over Se-lean, and 
held his court at Tsew-tsuen. 

The new emperor adopted the name of Woo^ 
te — Kaou-tsoo-woo-te, and gave to his reign the 

VOL. I. u 



290 SUNG DYNASTY. 

name of Yung-choc. As soon as he had ob- 
tained riches and power, he remembered his 
friends, and liberally recompensed them for their 
services, not forgetting his old nurse, who had 
saved his life, when he was an outcast. But he 
was equally implacable towards his enemies ; and 
the ex-emperor, rousing his suspicion, he fancied, 
that as long as he lived, his house could not 
possess the throne in security. Having offered 
sacrifice to Shang-te, he sent a bottle of poi- 
soned wine to the unhappy prince, who refused 
to drink it, but was forced thereto by a detach- 
ment of soldiers. Lew-yu did not long survive this 
horrible act ; but before his death appointed a 
regency of four ministers, 422. He was a great 
prince, gifted with the most splendid talents, 
whom a wily course of politics often led to the 
perpetration of horrible crimes. 

Shaou-te, whose reign is called King-ping, 
was still very young when his father died. But 
this prince was very weak, and whilst the 
northern princes were engaged in continual 
war, his whole occupation was hunting. The 
nobles therefore judged him unworthy ot the 
throne, to which they raised his brother. Wan- 
te, the name of his reign being Yuen-kea. He 
had at the commencement to sustain a very hard 
struggle against the northern princes ; Wei hav- 
ing taken possession of Hea, had thereby become 



SUNG DYNASTY^ 291 

very powerful, so as to bid defiance to the em- 
peror. His general, Tan-taou-tse, had fought 
very bravely, but having fallen under suspicion, 
though innocent, he was executed by order of 
the emperor, to the great joy of the enemies of 
the empire. Buddhism had now greatly increased, 
the temples were very numerous, and the priests 
like swarms of locusts. They had been ex- 
pelled from the north, and the emperor, to pre- 
vent their pernicious influence, prohibited the 
exercise of this religion. But all those edicts 
proved ineffectual to stem the torrent of false 
religion, since there was no true religion to be 
substituted for it. 

Science had been very little cultivated during 
the continual wars in which the nation was in* 
volved ; but W^n-te erected colleges and encou- 
raged scholars ; he likewise improved the ca- 
lendar, and showed himself a patron of all use- 
iiil learning. The prince of Wei imitated his 
example, and China began to revive again as a 
literary nation. The prince of Wei was very 
anxious to render his people happy ; and con- 
sidering the doctrines of Buddhism as the great- 
est obstacle to the moral improvement of the 
nation, he issued orders to bum the Buddhist 
temples, to banish the priests, and to destroy 
their books. Many priests suffered death, 
others were inhumanly treated ; but this cruel 

u2 



292 SUNG DYNASTY. 

persecution did not much redound to the ho- 
nour of an otherwise enlightened prince. 

Domestic feuds disturbed the peace of the 
prince of Wei, who fell a sacrifice to them; 
whilst Wan-te, notwithstanding his great pru- 
dence, was involved in a quarrel, which cost 
him his life. He had two sons, by two diflfe- 
rent wives, Lew-chaou and Lew-seuen. On a 
certain day he rebuked them for their mis- 
behaviour ; and to deprecate the wrath of their 
father, they had recourse to a Taou priest, who 
pretended to control spirits ; but when the empe- 
ror was apprised of their having consulted this 
magician, he threatened to disinherit Lew- 
chaou, whom he had appointed his successor. 
To prevent this disgrace, the unnatural prince 
forced the gates of the palace, and committed 
patricide. His brother, however, undertook to 
punish the monster, routed his army, and seated 
himself on the throne, under the name of Heaou-* 
woo-te, or Woo-te. Name of his reign, Heaou- 
keen, 454. 

Lew-chaou had thrown himself into a for- 
tress, which was stormed by Chang-she. When 
Lew-chaou saw no place whither to flee he 
wanted to plutige into a well ; but the imperial 
general prevented him from drowning him- 
self, and wept over his wretched fate. Lew- 
chaou perceiving him to be in tears, said: 



SUNG DYNASTY. 293 

*' Heaven and earth have rejected me, and can 
you weep over me?" The soldier who killed 
the emperor had his heart torn onU and was 
afterwards cut piecemeal, whilst his limbs were 
thrown upon the common highway. Lew-chaou, 
with his whole family, was beheaded in front of 
the imperial army. Their palaces were razed, 
and their furniture burnt. The punishment of 
patricide even extended to the officers who had 
served Lew-chaou. But the Taou priest, who, 
to heighten his crime, had also stolen the seals of 
the empire, was burnt alive, and his ashes thrown 
into the streets to be trodden under foot by the 
people. Heaou-woo-te ruled well, as long as 
he had enemies, who misrepresented the least 
of his actions ; but when he was firmly seated 
upon the throne, and had given repose to his 
country, which was at that time in a flourishing 
state, he gave himself up to debaucheries, in 
consequence of which he died, in 465. 

His son and successor, Fe-te (name of the 
reign King-ho), was so cruel and abandoned, 
that the Chinese historians are loath to assign 
him a place in the line of emperors. This feroci* 
ous monster murdered every body around him, 
without distinction ; and was accordingly detested 
and feared. To fill the cup of his wickedness, he 
built a hall of bamboo, where young persons of 
both sexes were obliged to run about naked; 



294 SUNG DYNASTY 

and a youth, of great modesty, who refused com- 
pliance, was killed on the spot. Once, during his 
sleep, the emperor dreamt that one of his concu* 
bines told him that he should not see the next 
harvest : he therefore called all the females of the 
palace together, and pointing out the lady ivhom 
he had seen in the dream, she was imme- 
diately sentenced to death, and executed. But 
his slumbers were again disturbed by the same 
apparition, which now addressed him in a me- 
nacing attitude^ and said : *' Prince you ave the 
greatest of villains; I have stated my com- 
plaints before Shang-te ; I have accused you of 
enormous crimes which you have conmiitted.'" 
This second dream greatly disturbed his tran- 
quillity; he consulted the Taou priests, re- 
questing them to exorcise the evil spirits which 
haunted the palace; but whilst he was attentively 
watching the means the priest used in obe- 
dience to his orders, one of the eunuchs struck 
him to the earth, when he instantly expired. 

His successor, Ming-te, 466, seeing himself 
surrounded by niunerous rivals, killed fourteen 
of his eighteen nephews ; and had to wage a long 
war with Lew-tse-heau, a prince of the imperial 
blood. But he was not satisfied till he had cut 
off all the branches of the tree to which he him- 
self owed his existence. In perpetrating cruel- 
ties» he was by no means behind his predecessor; 



SUNG DYNASTY. 296 

but, at the same time, be was more methodical, 
and all his actions were marked by wily policy. 
The prince of Wei was quite of an opposite cha- 
racter ; he was meek and obliging ; anxious for 
the welfare of the people, whom he cherished 
with the greatest tenderness ; but his love for the 
Bonzes was very great ; and, in order to show 
his deepest respect for their institutions, he built 
a chapel in the palace, and became himself one 
of their order. 

The measure of Ming-te's iniquities was fi- 
nally full. One of his best officers, Wang-king- 
yuen, wished to retire from court, not being 
able to endure all the cruelties which were 
daily committed. The emperor now began to 
fear for his safety, and sent the cup with poison 
to this object of his suspicion ; who, at that time, 
was playing at chess, and emptied it with the 
greatest indifference. Having dreamt that Lew- 
se, governor of Yu-chang, was about to revolt, 
he immediately sent his satellites to execute 
him. These unprovoked cruelties alienated the 
hearts of the people, who would have revolted, 
if he had not died before the tempest began to 
rage, — 472. The name of his reign was Tae- 
che. 

China had also its Neros and Caligulas. Lew- 
Yu (who bears also the name of Tsang^woo-wang 
and How-fe-te — the Kang-keen-e-che calls him 



296 SUNG DYNASTY. 

Sin-thus) bad first to combat a rival, Lew-how- 
fan, a descendant of the Tsung family, before 
he could seat himself upon the throne. Some 
of his loyal subjects deserted to the rebel army* 
and cut off the head of Lew-how-fan ; but though 
thus the chief of the faction was killed, his sol- 
diers fought with great valour against the imperial 
forces, till they were dispersed by the address 
of the general Seaou-taou-ching. Lew-yu, 
however, was unworthy of the throne ; he asso* 
ciated with the dregs of the people, slept in the 
shops and taverns, changed the costume of his 
subjects, and even went so far as to spread a 
rumour that he was not of royal blood. Being 
of a most ferocious nature, he often ran, with 
a drawn sword, accompanied by his myrmidons, 
through the streets, killing everybody who came 
in his way. The celebrated general, Seaou* 
taou-ching, who had put down the rebellion, 
was once asleep in the palace; Lew-yu ob- 
served him for a while, and then drew a circle 
around his navel, at which he aimed an arrow ; and 
the general would have perished, if he had not 
suddenly grasped a shield, and thus intercepted 
the fatal weapon. From this moment he re- 
solved upon the emperor *s ruin. Some eunuchs 
had joined the conspiracy, and watched an op- 
portunity for murdering their sovereign. Short- 
ly afterwards, the emperor spent a day in a 



SUNG DYNASTY. 297 

temple, and returning drunk to his palace, the 
eunuchs threw him into a bed, and cut off his 
head. On the next day, the grandees of the 
empire assembling to choose a new sovereign, 
appointed unanimously the worthy and brave 
Seaou-taou-K^hing : one of them even drew 
his sword, and threatened to cleave the head of 
every one who dissented. But the magna- 
nimous general created Lew-shun, the adopted 
son of Ming-te, emperor — 477. 

The prince of Wei, whom we have already 
mentioned, had gained all hearts. Convinced 
that the mandarins, if they were not kept in 
cheeky acted tyrannically, he severely punished 
every officer who oppressed the people. Two 
minions of the empress dowager had fallen under 
his displeasure; his mother besought him to 
spare their lives, but he remained deaf to her 
prayers; and the malefactors were executed. 
This 80 irritated the mind of this vindictive 
woman, that, in order to retaliate the death of 
her favourites, she poisoned her son. She then 
seized upon the government, and acquitted her- 
self, during the minority of her grandson, so 
well, that she was beloved by her subjects. 

Lew-shun, who adopted the name of Shun-te, 
was an ephemeral emperor. After his acces- 
sion to the throne, the enemies of Seaou-taou- 
ching disapproved of his being chosen emperor. 



298 SUNG DYNASTY. 

But the wily general divided the forces of the 
rebels, and vanquished them one after the other. 
However, this unexpected success gave him a 
relish for sovereign power. The principal of- 
fices in the government were in the hands of his 
creatures: he had nominated himself duke of 
Tse ; and afterwards adopted the title of king. 
Anxious to prevail upon Shun-te to abdicate, 
he sent one of his friends to the palace, ordering 
him to remove the whole imperial family to 
another building. The empress wanted to repel 
force by force; but Shun-te only wept, and 
begged that his life might be spared. After he 
had laid aside all the robes of a sovereign, he 
was conducted in a cart to the palace which had 
been prepared for his reception. Here he lived 
only a few days, when he was assassinated, — 
479. The imperial crown devolved now upon 
another family ; and the house of Sung was al- 
most extinct: for there remained only a litde 
babe, the last scion. 

The reign of this dynasty, though short, 
proved very beneficial to the welfare of the Chi- 
nese empire. To those wicked emperors, who 
sat upon the throne during the latter end, the 
power was denied to do as much mischief as 
they might have done, had not their crudty 
been checked. 



299 



CHAPTER XIII. 

TSE DYNASTY. 
FROM 480 TO 602. 

Seaou-taou*chino, the founder of this house, 
was descended from an illustrious family, and 
possessed all the talents to render him worthy 
of the throne. His dynasty took the name from 
the duchy of Tse, of which he had possessed 
himself during the reign of Shun-te. He kept 
his court at Nanking ; and therefore it has re- 
ceived the name of Nan-tse — southern Tse. 
Chinese historians comprise all the dynasties, 
from Sung to Suy, under the general name of 
Nan-pih-chaou — south<3rn and northern dynas- 
ties ; because there existed throughout this whole 
period, two independent empires in China — the 
southern and northern ; the Chinese and Tatar 

dynasties. 

Seaou*taou-ching's reign was happy, but 
short. His imperial name was Kaou-te — the 
exalted emperor: his reign is designated by. 
Keen-yuen. When he had 



300 TSE DYNASTY. 

upon the throne, he proved to be one of the 
most excellent emperors whom Chma ever had, 
and died in 482. 

His son, Woo-te, was much devoted to Budd- 
hism, and entertained a great many priests ; but 
spent a great part of his time in hunting. Once 
passing through a corn-field, then in the blade, 
he admired the beauty of it. Fan-yun, one of 
his friends, remarked : " You are right ; but you 
do not remember the pain it has cost. If you 
would reflect, that this com has been watered 
by the sweat of the people, and that it is the re- 
sult of three seasons of the year, I am confident 
your hunting parties would give you more pain 
than pleasure." From this moment the prince 
abstained from indulging to excess in the prac- 
tice of hunting. He died in 493. Under his 
reign, there lived a very celebrated philosopher, 
the oracle of the age. Fan-chin. He taught 
the mortality of the soul, which, in her relation 
to the body, was like the sharpness of a knife 
to the body of the knife. He inculcated the 
doctrines of absolute fate, which no mortal can 
escape; and, in fact, taught materialism in its 
worst shape. Though these tenets have never 
been acknowledged as an orthodox creed, they 
constitute the substance of Chinese religion in 
the higher classes of society. 

When Woo-te had died, his grandson came 



TSE DYNASTY. 301 

to the throne, though the government was 
usurped by Seaou-lun, a president of the high- 
est tribunal ; who, to avoid all evil appearances, 
promoted Seaou-chaow-yuen to the throne, and 
shortly afterwards dispossessed him of the im- 
perial diadem, — 494. The northern emperor 
disapproved of these arbitrary proceedings, and 
marched with an army against the usurper. 
Seaou-lun adopted the name of Ming-te; and 
sent Seaou-yen, a valiant general, who after- 
wards became the founder of the next dynasty, 
to wage war with the northern troops. The 
imperial forces were defeated ; but Ming-te died 
before he learned the news of his misfortune. 
He had been a prince very much addicted to the 
dreams of the Tao sect ; and his death is as- 
cribed to a nostrum which some priests had 
administered to him. His third son, Tung- 
hwan-how, or Paou-keuen, inherited the usurped 
throne of his father, — 499. But he would have 
lost his unrighteous possession, if his rival, the 
northern emperor, had not died suddenly. His 
successor was a youth devoted to pleasure, and 
unwilling to prosecute a toilsome war ; so that 
the contest was carried on languidly. Paou- 
keuen was a cruel prince; he murdered the 
brother of Seaou-yen ; he gained the principal 
officers to assist him in dethroning the emperor^ 
and exalted his brother, under the name of Ho« 



302 LEANG DYNASTY. 

te, to the throne, — 501. But, apprehensive of 
a new revolt, he endeavoured to extirpate the 
whole race of Tse, took the title of prince of 
Leang, and strangled Ho-te, — 502. 



LEANG DYNASTY. 

502—557. 

Leung- woo-te, the new emperor, seeing him- 
self freed from so dangerous a rival as the old 
remaining family, had to fight for the possession 
of the empire with the prince of Wei. During the 
various campaigns in which he was engaged, be 
marched against Chow-yang, which was defend- 
ed by an able general ; but he abandoned the city 
to fight the battles of his sovereign, leaving 
behind his wife, a very high-minded woman. 
As soon as she saw the hostile army approach- 
ing, she took a sword in her hands, and ascend- 
ing upon the ramparts^ exhorted the soldiers to 
fight to the last. Though arrows, and other 
aiissile weapons, aimed at the garrison, fell 
around, thick as the mist, she remained im- 
moveable. Many who had fought bravely by 
her side fell lifeless at her feet ; but the brave 
Mung-she fought with redoubled courage, till 
succour from her husband arrived and raised 
the siege. But not only occupied with the 
slaughter of his enemies, he revived ancient 



L£ANO DYNASTV. 303 

learning and the study of the classics. He him- 
self instituted schools and visited the teacherSi 
heard the boys read, and delighted in their 
exercises. Such was this emperor, who had 
spent the greater part of his life amongst the 
turmoil of war. He, however, showed his ig- 
norance in many things, and was about to 
sacrifice upon a high mountain to the Supreme 
Heaven, quite contrary to ancient usage. 

The state of Wei sank finally into insignifi* 
cance, under a young and weak prince ; yet he 
was married to a woman worthy the high sta- 
tion of an empress. All the high officers were 
under her control ; and, to show the world that 
there is, abstractedly, no inequality between the 
sexes, she undertook to sacrifice to Shang-te, 
the greatest abomination and profanation which 
ever could have been committed by any woman 
in China. But she did not spend her life in 
idle pomp ; on the contrary, she carried on the 
war against the Leang-woo-te. However, whilst 
thus engaged, she suddenly became a zealous 
protector of the Buddhist sect. To honour the 
priests, she built a great temple, in which 
a thousand of them were entertained at her ex- 
pense. But the Confucians were envious that 
so great a princess did not honour the learned, 
and prepared her ruin. She was accused of 
having lived too free with a young and able 



304 LEANG DYNASXr. 

man, and in consequence confined to her pa- 
lace, where she waited her opportunity, and sud- 
denly declared, in an assembly of the states, 
that she was about to make herself a priestess. 
Having made this declaration, she took the 
fatal knife to shave her head ; but the grandees, 
seeing that she was in earnest, vehemently 
besought her to abstain from this resolution* 
Apparently persuaded, she returned to the pa- 
lace as the sovereign mistress of her son. Dur- 
ing the time of her imprisonment all state 
affairs had gone wrong; but as soon as she 
resumed the reins of state, the administration of 
government was the wonder of the whole world. 
She only neglected one grand duty, that of 
living retired. Instead of imitating the customs 
of her sex in China, she dared to walk about 
openly, richly attired ; which irritated the minis- 
ters, who told her that a widow ought to be 
dead to the world, and be absorbed in contem- 
plating her irreparable loss. This doctrine was 
not very palatable to a princess who lived solely 
for the honour and the benefit of her nation, bat 
who could forgive and profit by these remarks. 
Whilst this lady swayed the northern states, 
Leang-woo-te, an effeminate man, became a 
priest of Buddha, living according to all the rites 
of Shamanism. He had issued orders that no 
animals (pigs even included) should be killed 



LEANG DYNASTV. 305 

in any part of the empire, he himself setting 
the best example by living upon a vegetable diet. 
But he was not allowed to remain long in the 
monastery; for the grandees of the empire 
threatened to drag him out by force if he did not 
immediately resume his duties ; and when the 
priests refused to relinquish their royal convert, 
the ministers wished to set fire to the temple 
and bum the whole hive of lazy drones. Even 
when they had released the emperor, who part- 
ed from them reluctantly, the ministers insisted 
upon killing the deceivers, but were forbidden 
by the monarch. We are astonished that so 
great a warrior should have become so imbecile 
as to believe in idle stories, in mere nonsense, 
and descend from his throne when the coun- 
try was in danger of being overrun by a formi- 
dable enemy. 

The sage princess Hoo-she might have ren- 
dered her nation happy, if the grandees who 
felt themselves so much degraded by being ruled 
by a woman, had not counteracted her orders. 
Being finally charged with having poisoned her 
son, she was so shocked with this imputation 
that she shaved her head and became a nun, in 
order never to appear again in the world. 

]f the imbecile Woo-te had been content with 
rendering homage to the priests it would have 
been well for the country, but by his mis- 

VOL. I. X 



306 LEANG DYNASTY. 

management he protracted a war which ex- 
hausted the resources of the empire. Many 
battles were fought, soldiers advanced and re- 
treated, cities were taken and retaken, the 
Tatars also began to threaten an incursion; 
and the result of all was, that the country 
was impoverished and the peasantry rendered 
wretched. But, notwithstanding this great po- 
litical error, Woo-te was, in his latter days, a 
sober, meek-minded man, an emperor who had 
bade farewell to the Confucian doctrines, be- 
cause they did not give satisfaction upon the 
most essential points — the immortality of the 
soul and the existence of a Supreme Being. 
He discarded one negative evil, and fell into 
positive and gross errors. Under his reign a 
son offered to die for his fath^ who had 
committed a great crime. This fervent, filial 
piety touched Woo-te greatly, and he decreed 
honours to this dutiful son; but the youth 
rejected them, because they would put him 
only in remembrance of his father's errors and 
crimes. 

This prince died in the utmost misery. One 
of his generals. How-king, had become more 
powerful than his master ; he therefore charged 
the emperor with neglect of government, and 
laid siege to the capital, which he finally took. 
When coming into the presence of his aove- 



L£AN6 DYNASTY. 307 

reign, he was struck with awe, and trembling, 
fell upon his knees. '* Are you not yet tir^ 
with waging war ?" asked the emperor coolly. 
How-king had braved death in the thickest of 
the battle ; the sword which was to cleave his 
head had been uplifted ; but his courage now 
forsook him, and he was terrified by the majesty 
of Heaven's Son. After this interview how- 
ever he set to plundering the capital, which he 
reodered almost desolate. Woo-te died broken^ 
hearted, and forsaken by the whole world, whilst 
How- king lived an effeminate life in the palace. 
His third son, Keen-wan-te, succeeded him. 
But the ambitious How-king could no longer 
brook a superior, and slew the emperor. The 
day of vengeance, however, very soon arrived ; 
the whole empire rose up against the murderer ; 
he was repeatedly defeated, and finally slain ; 
and Yuen-te, the descendant of the founder of 
the Leang dynasty, ascended the throne, 352. 
The first act of this emperor was to send an 
army against hk brother, Leaou-ke, to humble 
him, for he was a very great general. China 
was scarcely ever at rest. One calamity had 
passed, another fell with douUe fury upon the 
country. Amongst this carnage, the prince of 
Tse concerted a plan of uniting the sects of 
Taou and Buddha; he therefore invited the 
priests of both parties to his palace, where they 

x2 



308 LEANG DYNASTY. 

held disputations, in which one sect charged the 
other with great abominations. The prince, 
irritated at what he heard, would have driven 
them both away ; but he felt some affection for 
the Buddhist priests, and therefore ordered all 
the Taou priests to conform to the Buddhaistical 
rites, by shaving the head and fasting. 

Shin-pa-seen, who had freed the country from 
a tyrant, became one in his turn ; and whilst the 
emperor, in his palace, busied himself with 
unravelling the dreams of the Taou . sect, he 
attacked the capital. At the sight of this 
enemy the prince lost all courage, broke his 
sword to pieces, as fighting had now become 
useless, and burnt the library which he had 
collected, learning being now of no avail. 
When he had thus rid himself of all that 
was precious, he went out of the city on a 
white horse and surrendered to the victor, who 
immediately ordered him to be beheaded. 

It seems, that all those who had tasted of 
the elixir of immortality died the earlier for it. 
Amongst the hundreds of Chinese emperors, 
there is not one prince who was able to rule 
over the nation after having given himself up to 
Taouism, a labyrinth of nonsense, not very dis- 
similar to some of the philosophic systems of 
modern date. 

The northern parts of the empire had hitherto 



LEANG DYNASTY. 309 

been ruled by the Topa Tatars, but Yu-yuen- 
hoc, a very influential minister, dethroned this 
family, who had reigned in the kingdom of Wei 
149 years, whilst he himself proceeded to oc- 
cupy the vacant throne of Wei, 556. At that 
time reigned King-te, the last scion of the Leang 
dynasty, who remunerated the murderer of his 
brother Yuen-te, by making him prime minister. 
Yu-yuen-hoo, his rival, refused to adopt the 
imperial title, but could only maintain himself 
for a short time in authority ; for the Chinese 
nobles were restless in the plotting of plans for 
the destruction of those in power. Anxious to 
imitate the ancients, whom he enthusiastically 
admired, he called his empire Chow ; and Chin- 
pa-seen, the usurper, called his Chin. When 
King-te saw that he retained nothing but the 
mere name of emperor, he thought it best to 
surrender his empty title to Chin-pa-seen, 557. 
Thus the Leang dynasty was extinguished. 



310 CHIN DTNASTT. 

CHIN DYNASTY. 
FROM 557 TO 589, A. D. 

Kaou*t8oo, for this was the name which Chin- 
pa-seen had adopted, had his throne dyed with 
blood — how conld he prosper? He was a de- 
cided enemy to pomp and useless luxury, and 
discarded both music and play. When he saw 
his end approaching, he nominated his nephew, 
Chin-tseen, his successor, who afterwards reigned 
under the name of Wan-te, 559. In this year 
died Kaou-yang, prince of Tsi, a monster of 
wickedness, who had made the most accurate re- 
searches after the posterity of the former rulers 
of Wei, and daily bathed his hands in blood, in 
order to establish his tottering throne; and his 
debaucheries rather surpassed his cruelties. 
Observing once, that the widow of his prime mi- 
nister, whom he had unjustly executed, was 
standing at the grave weeping, he asked the 
lady, whether she still thought about her hus* 
band after his death. On being answered in 
the affirmative, he drew his sword and cleft her 
head, saying, ''join your husband in the other 
world." — Scarcely was the unruly prince of Tse 
brought to reason, when another rebellion, 
headed by one of the first generals, broke out in 
the heart of the empire. Wan-tee was a very wise 
and judicious prince. To furnish the expences 



CHIN DYNASTY. 311 

for the war, he retrenched his own household, 
and spared the substance of the people ; but the 
beginning of discontent injured the state, and it 
was expected, that China would be involved in a 
long war. The emperor died before he was able 
to quell the rebellion, in 566. His son, Petsung, 
or Lin*hwae-wang, whom history also calls 
Fe-te, " the deposed emperor," succeeded him. 
As he was a young and weak prince, his uncle, 
Chin-heu, who ascended the throne under the 
name of Seuen-te, collected a large army, fought 
against the enemies of the empire with great 
success, and, supported by the empress dowager, 
dethroned his nephew, 568. During his reign, 
the principality of Chow became extinct. The 
princes hoped to enlarge their territory by dis- 
membering the state of Tse. A powerful minis- 
ter, who was entrusted with the hereditary go- 
vernment of the state of Suy , hastened the ruin 
of the Chow family. 

When the emperor lay dying, he was sur- 
rounded by his sons. Chin-shoo-ling, who was 
one of them, aimed a death blow at the heir of 
the crown ; the empress, who hastened to the aid 
of her son, was also wounded, but another of his 
brothers drove this monster out of the palace, 
and whilst on his flight to the Suy estate, killed 
him, 582. How-te ascended the throne of his 
father, and was only bent upon making his life 



312 SUY DYNASTY. 

easy and agreeable ; for which purpose he built 
splendid apartments, planted delicious groves, 
with cascades and flower-beds, and spent his 
days in the midst of women and eunuchs. Yang- 
keen waited till the three years of mourning for 
his father were over, and then marched against 
Nan-king, took the capital without resistance, 
and found the whole imperial family hidden in 
a well ; he drew them out, and granted them life. 
Having no rival, he ascended the throne. The 
two separate empires, — the Nan and Yuh-chou, 
Northern and Southern empires, which had 
commenced in 420, during the reign of the Tsin 
dynasty, were united by Yang-keen into one. 
He was the founder of the Suy dynasty. 



SUY DYNASTY. 
FROM 590 TO 618, A. D. 

Yang-keen, who now wore the imperial dia- 
dem, was fond of sovereign power, and as soon 
as he had seated himself firmly upon the throne, 
he acted according to his own discretion, with- 
out asking the advice of his friends. The Tatar 
princes, when they heard that Suy had united 
the whole Chinese empire, began to tremble for 
their existence. They were willing to prostrate 
themselves before the conqueror, when a Tatar 
princess opposed the victor, and revenged the 



SUr DYNASTY. 313 

insult done to her, by ordering her people to ra- 
vage the frontiers. To put a stop to these re- 
peated invasions, the emperor bestowed on one 
of the Tatar chiefs an imperial princess ; but his 
countrymen, envious of the great honour done to 
him, declared war against the favourite ; and thus 
embroiled in domestic quarrels, their attention 
was wholly occupied with avenging their pri- 
vate wrongs, and the emperor was able to fortify 
the frontiers against their invasions. The king 
of Korea, thinking himself powerful enough to 
maintain his independence, refused to pay tri- 
bute, for which he was severely chastised, and 
forced to send an ambassador to sue for peace and 
mercy. The emperor would have been happy 
upon his throne, if his own family had not been 
disturbed by discord. Having nominated an heir 
to the crown, the brother of this prince, an 
ambitious, intriguing, worthless man, persuaded 
the empress to use her influence in prevailing on 
the monarch to disinherit him; having suc- 
ceeded in his endeavours, he became insolent, 
and even attempted to violate one of the em- 
peror's wives. When this circumstance was 
reported to the emperor, he was on his death- 
bed, but indignant at having cherished the viper 
in his bosom, immediately dispatched a mes- 
senger to recal his injured son, and to reinstate 
him in his former dignity ; but he breathed his 



314 SUY DYNASTY. 

last, before the affair was settled, dying with 
regret that he had been so imprudent as to en- 
trust the government of so large an empire to 
such a monster of wickedness, 604. 

Wan-te held with a vigorous grasp the go- 
vernment of the whole empire, transacting 
every affair of importance himself, and watching 
over the faithless mandarins. Munificent in his 
rewards, he himself was exceedingly plain in his 
habits, and exercised the greatest economy in 
the maintaiance of his own family. He loved 
the people, and yearned for them like a fath^-. 
Without having constantly the names of Yaoa 
and Shun in his mouth, he imitated their bene* 
volence, and adopted their principles. Daring 
his administration, ancient learning began again 
to flourish, and the nation revived. His ances- 
torial name is Kaou-tsao. 

The vile usurper, Yang-kwan, forced his 
elder brother, the rightful heir of the crown, to 
strangle himself, and then jdelded himsdif up 
to the most enervating luxury in the gardens be 
had built. In these delicious and spacious 
grounds, he rode about on horseback, yntk a 
train of 1000 ladies, who chaunted and played 
upon instruments. Thus buried in pleasures, 
he spent a great part of his days in idl^iess. 
The full treasure of his parsimonious father 
lasted him for many years ; he had only to 



8UT DYNASTY. 315 

to squander what had been amassed by many 
a drop of blood. 

But at length, growing tired with this volup- 
tuous life, he dug canals, and opened conmiuni- 
cations with the most distant parts of the empire. 
Indignant at the obstinacy of the Koreans, who 
would not willingly submit to the Son of Heaven, 
he attacked the country by land and by water. 
Three expeditions proving ineffectual, the im- 
perial soldiers looked about them with dark des- 
pair ; but after many losses, and having suffered 
starvation and cold, the obstinate Yang-te 
was forced to take the field. But the Koreans 
had also lost their courage, and were glad to 
conclude a treaty, which secured their existence 
as a nation. When Yan-te returned to his 
territory, he found the whole empire in a state 
of rebellion, one governor after the other endea- 
vouring to render himself independent. Amongst 
this chaos of confusion, Le-yuen, the ancestor 
of the celebrated family Tang, being an able 
general, rose to great importance. He had also 
four sons, who possessed great talents, and 
aided their father in the acquisition of power. 

The emperor was on a tour, in Keang-nan, 
when a man of low rank assassinated him. Le- 
yuen, therefore, who was now a man of great 
influence, put the crown upon the head of 
Kung-te, whilst he reserved for himself the offices 



316 SUY DYNASTY. 

of prime-minister and regent, 617. His corona- 
tion was mere mockery : the same hand which 
had exalted him, forced him also to descend from 
the throne, which, according to appearances, he 
voluntarily abdicated. But he did not outlive his 
dishonour : a poisonous drug was administered ; 
and, as soon as he felt the effect of it, he fell 
upon his knees, and prayed that Buddha might 
never permit his being born again an emperor. 
As, however, the poison had not immediately 
the desired effect, they passed a silken cord 
around his neck, and strangled him, 619.* 

* See Histoire G^n^rale ; Du Halde ; Wang-wan, History 
of the Tsin Dynasty ; Yang-tso, History of the Han and Tsin 
Dynasties; Yu-paou, Annals of China; Tsin Dynasty; Seu- 
kwang, Annals of Tsin ; Chin-yo, Annals of Tsin and Sung, and 
Tse ; Tsuy-haou, History of Tsin; Wei-we, History of Soy ; and 
other Chinese histories. 



317 



CHAPTER XIV. 



TANG DYNASTY. 
FROM 619 TO 907, A. D. 

We have mentioned the name of the founder, 
Le-yuen, who was of the illustrious house of 
Leang. His great talents and valour made him 
an object of suspicion. The emperor, in order 
to free himself from so great a warrior in an 
honourable way, sent him into a province which 
was ravaged by Tatars as well as robbers ; and 
as he had only a few troops about him, it seemed 
certain that he would very soon fall a victim to 
dark revenge : but under such critical circum- 
stances, the hero was formed. He had, by his 
own resources, to supply the want of adequate 
forces ; to vanquish a brave and crafty enemy ; 
to deliver the country from banditti, who infest- 
ed all the recesses ; and thus became the best 
warrior of his age. As soon as he had given 



318 TANG DTNASTY. 

proofs of his superior skill in martial exploits, 
the disbanded soldiers of rebel chiefs joined his 
standards; his army increased; he declared 
himself independent; and, within six years, 
subjugated the whole celestial empire. At the 
commencement of his reign, China came in 
contact with a nation, whose wild valour and 
barbarous cruelty had been once formidable, 
and ruined the extensive empire of the Arabs. 
A naked, uncultivated tribe, from the dreary 
regions of Asia, conquered the Khaliphs, and 
founded in civilized Europe an empire, which 
still subsists. As their history is connected 
with that of the Chinese, it must, for a moment, 
command our attention. 

At the foot of the Imaiis, the Turks, a small, 
insignificant tribe of slaves, occupied with dig- 
ging iron, served the great khan of the Geougen. 
Their first ancestor had been suckled by a 
she- wolf ; and thus was savage bravery trans- 
fused into the veins of all his posterity. Bom 
to slavery, they were cheerful under servitude, 
until it became intolerable. Bertezena, their 
first leader, harangued his countrymen, pointed 
out to them their abject state, and exhorted 
them to shake off the yoke. This horde of 
smiths and armourers sallied forth; and, with 
all the energy of a nation emei^ing from barfoa- 



TANG DYNASTY. 319 

rism, conquered several neighbouring tribes. 
To remind the nation of their bumble origin, 
the prince, and leader himself, with his nobles, 
heated, annually, a piece of iron^ and took with 
their own hands a hammer to beat it. 

When their power was increased, they de- 
manded their freedom from their old masters; 
and, to secure this, Bertezena asked the daugh- 
ter of the great khan in marriage. His request 
was rejected with the utmost disdain ; in revenge 
for which, the Turks attacked their old mas- 
ter, and defeated his army. The Chinese prince 
of Wei, in Shen-se, a bitter enemy of Geougen, 
took the conqueror under his protection ; and, 
to remunerate the services he had done him and 
China, by subduing an inveterate foe, he gave 
him his own daughter in marriage. Nomades, 
like the Huns, they despised the arts of civilized 
life. One of the successors of Bertezena, whom 
the Chinese call Moo-kan, was allured by the 
luxuries of China, and wished to build villages 
and cities; but this design was defeated by one 
of his councillors, who said : '* The Turks are 
not equal to one-hundredth part of the inha- 
bitants of China. If we balance thdr power, 
and elude their armies, it is because we wander, 
without any fixed habitation, in the exercise of 
war and hunting. Are we strong, we advance 



320 TANG DYNASTY. 

and conquer ; are we feeble, we retire, and are 
concealed. Should the Turks confine them- 
selves within the walls of cities, the loss of 
a battle would be the destruction of their em- 
pire." 

Their religion was vague: they worshipped 
the gods of the air, the wind, and the rivers. 
Their laws were rigorous and impartial; theft 
was punished by a tenfold restitution ; adultery, 
treason, and murder, with death. The punish- 
ment for the inexpiable guilt of cowardice was 
horrible. The throne of their chief was turned 
towards the east ; and a golden wolf, mounted 
on the top of a spear, guarded the entrance to 
his tent. As soon as a youth was capable of 
bearing arms, he received and wore them till 
his death. Their armies were as numerous as 
swarms of grasshoppers ; and, within the space 
of fifty years, they had united under their stan- 
dards numerous Tatar tribes; and were con- 
nected, in peace and war, with the Romans, 
Persians, and Chinese; having conquered the 
White Huns on the plains of Bokhara and Sa- 
markand, they carried their victorious arms to 
the Indus. But though they thus extended 
their conquests in every direction, their chief 
still kept his court in the ancient abode of their 
ancestors, at the foot of the Imaiis. Had not 
their extensive empire been divided into five 



TANG DYNASTY, 321 

different kingdomis, they might, perhaps, have 
subjected the world to their sway; but these 
divisions created continual wars, and reduced 
the power of these wild conquerors to nothing ; 
and five independent kingdoms were erected 
upon the ruins of the Turkish empire. The 
founder of the Tang dynasty, trembling at such 
a neighbour as the Turks, treacherously de* 
livered up to the Hosona, a Tatar prince who 
had taken refuge in China. When the Turkish 
ambassadors arrived at the Chinese court, in 
619, they were received with due honours ; and 
Heaven's son stooped greatly from his digni^ 
to conciliate their good-will. Indeed, it is said, 
that the heroic Chinese fought against them 
with gold and silver lances, — a formidable wea^ 
pcm! — and thus averted an invasion which 
might have fixed the Turks in China, and freed 
Europe from this scourge. But, directing their 
vast martial force towards the West, (guided, 
perhaps, by a higher hand, which disposes of 
the empires of the world,) they produced one of 
those great revolutions which have had a lasting 
influence upon all the countries we inhabit The 
Mongol conquests ceased in Europe with the 
conqueror who made them, whilst the baneful 
influence of Turkish dominion is still felt ; and 
though the foundation of this stronghold of fa- 
naticism has been undermined, though the 

VOL. I. V 



322 TANG DYNASTT. 

Turkish empire, now in a state of dotage, is 
tottering to its basis, it is still suffered to 
exist. 

In the rapid career of Western conquest, the 
Turks attacked the Ogors or Yarchonites, and 
subdued them; a small portion only of this 
mighty nation preferred death and exile to ser- 
vitude, the others were amalgamated with the 
victors. Following the course of the Wolga, 
the Turks spread consternation before them, 
and being confounded with the savage Avars, 
their name was quite sufficient to strike a whole 
army with utter dismay. At the foot of the 
Caucasus they first heard of the splendour 
and riches of the Boman empire. Anxious to 
discover the golden mountains -which contained 
all these treasures, they sent an embassy to Jos- 
tinian, 558, with this address : ^* You see before 
you, O mighty prince, the representatives of 
the strongest and most populous of nations, the 
invincible, the irresistible Avars. We are will- 
ing to devote ourselves to your service ; we are 
able to vanquish and to destroy all the enemies 
who now disturb your repose, but we expect, as 
the price of our alliance, as the reward of our 
valour, precious gifts, annual subsidies, and 
fruitful possessions."' 

Justinian acted in this case like a Chinese 
emperor, purchasing the friendship of the fiercet 



TANG DYNASTY. 323 

Turks, who had now adopted the name of 
Avars ; and to captivate them in the nets of 
luxury, presented the ambassadors with silken 
garments, soft and splendid beds, and chains 
and collars embossed in gold ; and thus bribed , 
they returned with an imperial ambassador to 
their dreary abodes. Roman policy now en- 
gaging the fiercer barbarians in war with the 
enemies of the empire, they fought against the 
Bulgarians and Sclavonians, and reduced them 
to vassalage; but finding themselves to have 
been the dupes of Roman intrigue, they had not 
concluded their wars with the Sclavonic tribes 
when they passed the Borysthenes, and boldly 
advanced into the heart of Poland and Ger- 
many, pursuing the footsteps of their enemies 
to Jaik, the Wolga, mount Caucasus, the Eux- 
ine, and Constantinople, and insisting that the 
emperor should not espouse the cause of rebels 
and fugitives. The Sogdoites, who had become 
Turkish vassals, seized this fair opportunity of 
opening, to the north of the Caspian, a new 
road for the importation of Chinese silks into 
the Roman empire ; but the Persians, who pre« 
ferred the trade to Ceylon, saw with reluct- 
ance these new rivals^ stopped the caravans of 
Bokhara and Samarkand, and burned their silks. 
A Turkish ambassador having died, as was sur- 
mised, by poison at the Persian court, the Sog- 

y2 



324 TANG DYNASTY. 

doite ambassadors proposed a treaty of alliance 
to the Byzantine court, which was accepted, 
and ratified by a Roman embassy sent to mount 
Altai. But when the Turks perceived that th^ 
were not assisted by their new allies in the war 
against Chosroes, they bitteiiy upbraided their 
perfidy. " You Romans," the Turkish sove- 
reign said, addressing the Byzantine ambassa- 
dor, '' speak with many tongues, but they are 
tongues of deceit and perjury. To me you hold 
one language, to my subjects another, and the 
nations are successively deluded by your per- 
fidious eloquence. You precipitate your allies 
into war and danger, enjoy their labours, and 
neglect your benefactors. Hasten your return ; 
inform your master that a Turk is incapable of 
uttering or forgiving falsehood, and that he shall 
speedily meet the punishment which he de- 
serves. While he solicits my friendship with 
hollow and flattering words, he is sunk to a 
confederate of my fugitive Varchonites. If I 
condescend to march against those contemptible 
slaves, they will tremble at the sound of our 
whips, they will be trampled like a nest of ants 
under the feet of my innumerable cavalry. I 
am ignorant of the road ^ey have followed to 
invade your empire, nor can I be deceived by 
the vain pretence that mount Caucasus is the 
impregnable barrier of the Romans. I know the 



TANO DYNASTT. 325 

cooise of the Niester, the Danube, and the He- 
bras ; the most warlike nations have yielded to 
the arms of the Turks ; and from the rising to 
the setting sun the earth is my inheritance."* 

Notwithstanding this harsh speech, a treaty 
was concluded ; and in 626, the emperor He- 
raclius renewed the alliance against the proud 
Persians and the savage, ancient Avars. At 
his liberal invitation, the hordes of Chozars 
transported their tents from the plains of the 
Volga to the mountains of Georgia ; Heraclius 
received them in the neighbourhood of Tiflis, 
where the khan, with his nobles, dismounted 
from their horses, and fell prostrate on the 
ground, to adore the purple of the Caesar. The 
emperor took off his diadem and placed it on 
the head of the Turkish prince, whom he sa- 
luted with a tender embrace and the appella- 
tion of son ; and after having presented the 
khan with rich presents, he flattered him with 
the prospect of an imperial alliance. Having 
thus negotiated a strong diversion of the Turk- 
ish arms, the tide of conquest was directed 
towards the Oxus, where the Persians were dis- 
comfited. Finally, when the Arabs emerged 
from the deserts, and their khaliphs were firmly 
seated upon the throne of the Prophet, they 

* Gibbon's Decline apd Fall of the Roman Empire, vol. vii. 
pp. 294-297- 



326 TANG DYNASTY. 

preferred, during the time of the decline of the 
empire, a Turkish body-guard to their own 
native troops, the khaliph Mstassem introduc- 
ing into the capital about fifty thousand of 
these mercenaries. The licentiousness of these 
foreigners, however, provoked the indignation 
of the faithful believers in Mohammed, and the 
khaliph was compelled to remove from Bagdad 
to Samara, a city on the Tigris, where his son 
Motawakkel, a cruel and jealous tyrant, was at 
length murdered by the same troops by whose 
aid he supported his cruelties. His son, the 
instigator of this murder, died of remorse, and 
the ensigns of royalty, the garment and walk- 
ing-staff of Mohammed, fell into the hands of 
the Turks, who now exercised over their former 
masters the most unlimited sway. As often as 
these hordes were inflamed by fear or rage, or 
avarice, the khaliphs were dragged forth by the 
feet, exposed naked to the scorching sun, beaten 
with iron clubs, and compelled to purchase, by 
the abdication of their dignity, a short reprieve 
from their inevitable fate. The numbers of 
these fearful hordes were afterwards thinned in 
the foreign wars of the Arabs ; but having once 
tasted of the sweets of luxury, their passions 
were kindled, and their countrymen afterwards 
became the conquerors of the invincible Arabs. 
Several of the hordes had settled in Hun- 



TANG DYNASTY. 327 

garia> where they amalgamated with the Huns. 
Their first conquests and final settlements ex- 
tended on either side of the Danube, above 
Vienna, below Belgrade, and beyond the an- 
cient province of Pannonia. The German em- 
peror, Amulph, a traitor to his country, invoked 
their help, in 900 ; and during the minority of 
the son of the emperor, Lewis, those savage 
allies invaded Germany. Such was the speed 
of these locusts in human shape, that in a sin- 
gle day a circuit of fifty miles was stripped and 
consumed. In the battle of Augsburgh, main- 
tained from morning till evening, they had al- 
most conquered these implacable enemies, when 
their whole army, by the flying stratagem of 
the Turkish cavalry, was devoted to ruin and 
destruction. For more than thirty years Grer- 
many groaned under the payment of an igno- 
minious tribute, and if a refractory spirit was 
shown, the savage Turks dragged the women 
and children into captivity, whilst all the males 
above the age of ten years were slaughtered in 
cold blood. These implacable enemies almost 
at the same time reduced to ashes Bremen, and 
the monastery of St. Gall, in Helvetia ; and it 
is said, that they penetrated to the southern 
provinces of France, and even threatened Spain 
with an invasion. When on the verge of spread- 
ing destruction in .Italy, they began to tremble 



328 TANG DYNASTY. 

at the force so populous a country could oppose 
to their inroads, and requested to retreat unmo- 
lested. The Italian king proudly rejected their 
demand; an engagement ensued, and 90,000 
Christians left on the field of battle afforded 
a palpable demonstration of the utter defeat of 
the Italian forces. The Turks, or rather Hun- 
garians, appeared before Paria ; the city was 
devoted to the flames, the inhabitants were mas- 
sacred, and only two hundred wretches were 
spared, because they had collected about two 
hundred bushels of gold and silver from the 
smoking ruins of their once flourishing city. 
Nothing could arrest the torrent of destruction, 
the savage victors arrived in Calabria, and then 
returned with the spoils of this unhappy coan* 
try, to spread devastation in other parts of the 
globe. Hitherto the Bulgarians had served as 
a dyke against the torrent of their invasions 
into the Byzantine empire ; but this barrier 
also was carried away with irresistible force, 
and the emperor of Constantinople saw before 
his gates the waving banners of the Turks, 
924. Though they had approached its walls, 
and struck a battle-axe into the golden gate, 
the pillage and utter destruction of this cele- 
brated capital was averted by immense contri- 
butions, and an ignominious peace. 
China, though often attacked, was never sub- 



TANG DYNASTY. 329 

dued by the Turks ; but, on the contrary, it has 
repeatedly repulsed their elsewhere victorious 
armies. 

Kaou-tsoo, a man of noble family, and great 
qualities, rekindled the valour of the Chinese^ 
encouraged them in arts and sciences, and after- 
wards defeated the Tatars, an unruly, untameable 
race. He was an enemy to the Buddhist priests, 
and threatened them with an entire expulsion. 
Beholding the grasshoppers doing great injury, 
he vehemently exclaimed, ** Ye animals, why do 
you eat up the sustenance of my people, where^ 
fore do you not devour my entrails ?" After a 
long, happy, and glorious reign, he died in 649^ 
Kaou^tsung Shing-kwan, his successor, was a 
warlike prince, who extended his conquests as 
far as Persia, and subjugated the Taofan tribe. 

Chung-tBung began to reign in 084 ; but, by 
a strange concurrence of circumstances, Woo- 
woo-how, his mother, the empress dowager, ac* 
quired the power of keeping him in confinement. 
She tyrannized, with unheard of cruelty, over 
the whole imperial family, treating the princes of 
the blood like slaves ; and, to show her inde- 
pendence, arrayed herself in imperial robes and 
sacrificed to heaven and earth; at the same 
time changing the designation of the dynasty 
into Chow, and blotting out the names of the 
imperial princes from the records. But in fact 



330 TANG DYNASTY. 

Chung-tsung did not deserve to reign, 
a weak^ debauched prince, who deserved con- 
finement or banishment. His wife, however, 
was an excellent princess, who bestowed the 
utmost care upon the government of the palace* 
His brother, Juy-tsung, who succeeded him in 
710, was followed by Heuen-tsung, a wise 
prince, who encouraged learning and literature, 
established colleges, nominated doctors, pub- 
lished books, and invited his subjects to study 
the classics* But the end did not correspond 
with this fine commencement ; for he drowned 
his queen, and killed his children ; for which the 
divine vengeance fell upon him, so that he had 
to flee before his rebellious subjects to Sze- 
chuen. His son, Tih-tsung, saved him fiK>m utter 
disgrace, by subduing the rebels, and recalling 
his father from exile. His death, however, soon 
followed* The Taofan, who had been restless 
during the preceding reigns, now repeatedly in^ 
vaded the empire, their incursions being directed 
towards Sze-chuen, where their cruel and relent- 
less barbarism laid whole districts waste. The 
reign of Tae-tsung was stormy ; and Tih-tsung, 
his successor, allowed the eunuchs too much in- 
fluence, but proved victorious against the rebels 
and Tatars. His successor, Shun-tsung, abdi- 
cated, after a reign of one year* Heen-tsung, 
his son 9 a very wise prince, 805, reformed sJl 



TANG DYNASTY. 331 

branches of government, and examined into the 
acts of the mandarins ; but he also had his weak- 
ness. Having heard that there existed a precious 
relic of Buddha — one of his fingers — inShen-se, 
he caused it to be transported to the capital, in 
a magnificent procession, in defiance of the re- 
monstrances made by the tribunal of rites. As he 
was desirous of living for ever upon earth, he 
sought the elixir of immortality, drank it, and 
died ! But, before the poison took efiect, whilst 
sufiering the agonies which terminated in death, 
he executed a number of eunuchs, who' had been 
engaged in this transaction. Muh-tsung, who 
only lived for his pleasures, showed great dis- 
respect for his father's memory, by mourning 
only one month instead of three years. He at 
first banished the Taou-tsze, and other magici- 
ans ; but was very soon entangled in their nets, 
and poisoned himself, like his father, with the 
elixir of immortality. King-tsung, his succes- 
sor, was suffocated in his bed, by the eunuchs, 
whose power he was anxious to reduce. Nothing 
could be so strong a proof of the decline of 
this dynasty, as the reign of these worthless 
eunuchs, who daily became more and more 
powerful. 

Woo-tsung, who ascended the throne a. j>» 
840, was a great emperor, who saw the misery 



332 TANG DYNASTT. 

which afflicted the country, and remedied it effec- 
tually. The Taofan, or Tibetians, were, by 
his policy, engaged in intestine wars, and the 
empire was thus freed from th^ incursions. 
Woo-tsung also poisoned himself with the po- 
tion of immortality. It is difficult to account 
for the despicable folly of these princes, who« 
seeing that so many emperors had died from the 
effects of this elixir, yet betook themsdves to 
it again and again, to the destruction of their 
health and life. 

The eunuchs now controlled all the affairs of 
government, the emperors being nothing but 
their creatures, chosen for their imbedlity 
from amongst the imperial princes. Of this class 
of sovereigns was Seuen-tsung, who having, 
perhaps, acted idiotcy, like the elder Brutus, 
was raised to the throne for his superior stupid- 
ity. But they had greatly deceived themselves 
in their choice, for this youth very soon disco- 
vered the greatest talents. His first enterprise 
was the attempted extirpation of the eunuchs, 
in which he was zealously seconded by the 
prime minister, their decided enemy. But the 
united powers of the prime minister and the em- 
peror were insufficient to overthrow their tyran- 
ny; and they were ultimately delivered from 
their enemies by the liquor of immortality. 

Wars and discord reduced the empire to the 



TANG DYNASTY. 333 

brink of ruin, under E-tsung, a prince who liyed 
only for his pleasures, his greatest action being 
the discovery of a bone of Buddha^ which he 
brought to the capital in great state. He left 
the empire in a ruinous condition to his son, He- 
tsung, a boy of 12 years, who succeeded him 
A. D. 874. The imperial treasury had been ex- 
hausted under E-tsung. The new reign was 
ushered in by a great drought and general scar- 
city ; but the emperor, placed beyond the reach 
<^ penury and want, spared not his afflicted 
subjects, who at length preferred abandoning 
their fields and retiring into the woods, to suffer- 
ing any longer the heavy exactions imposed up- 
on them. The soldiers, seeking to drive them 
back to their homes, were beaten ; which em- 
boldened the rebels to proceed, and one province 
after the other breaking out into open revolt, 
the wjiole empire verged towards destruction. 
But there was still a brave general, Le-ke-yung, 
whose posterity sat upon the imperial throne, 
who defended the cause of the emperor with his 
sword. Chaou-tsung wanted none of the good 
qualities necessary for ruling an extensive em- 
pire. Ascending the throne in 888, his first 
care was to reform the government, in which he 
would have made great improvements, had not 
the eunuchs seized and confined him in a hole 
with only one aperture to let in food. To such 



334 TANG DYNASTY. 

ignominious treatment had the emperors of China 
subjected themselves. His prime minister how- 
ever, relieved him from this shameful imprison* 
ment ; and as soon as he had escaped out of their 
hands, he devoted the whole number to destruc- 
tion. He therefore invoked the help of robbers, 
and gave them full liberty to exercise their art 
upon these wretches. These freebooters acquitted 
themselves 8o well of their trust, that only a few 
eunuchs escaped the general slaughter, and the 
empire was freed from this plague. However, 
the imperial dynasty of Tang no more recovered 
from its weakness. Choo-wan, prince of Leang, 
having grown powerful, aimed at the sove- 
reignty ; he accordingly murdered the emperor, 
and promoted Chaou-seuen-te to the throne a« i>. 
905. This prince, however, very soon saw that 
it would be his inevitable ruin, if he maintain- 
ed himself any longer upon the throne, and 
therefore abdicated in favour of Choo-wan, 
prince of Leang, who bestowed upon him a 
small principality. In this degraded state 
he lived for three years, when he was assas- 
sinated. 

We have now arrived at the termination of the 
Tang dynasty. How so extensive an empire as 
that of China could be kept together, imder 
princes like these, it is difficult to explain. 
They were unable to reign even over their own 



TANO DVNASTT. 33^ 

court ; how then could they govern so numerous 
a nation as the Chinese ? 

The five following dynasties are called, by the 
Chinese, Woo- toe — ''the five generations, or 
ages/* As their history, however, consists of 
nothing but a detail of petty wars and blood- 
shed, we may be very brief in our relation. 



336 



CHAPTER XV. 



THE WOO-TAE. 



HOW-LEANG, HOW-TANG, HOW-TSIN, HOW-HAN, 

HOW-CHOW. 

FROM A. D. 907 TO 959. 
HOW-LEANG. 

The Tatars of Leaou-tung, who had made 
themselves masters of a great part of China, 
originally came from the desert of Kobi, and 
settled themselves in the fertile regions of the 
peninsula. 

Tae-tsoo, prince of Leang, who now sat upon 
the throne, which he had gained by repeated 
acts of cruelty, was assassinated by his own 
son. His brother, who afterwards reigned, 
under the name of Muh-te, or Leang-choo-chin, 
revenged this parricide, and began to reign, 
A. D. 913. The prince of Tsin rose in rebellion 
against his liege lord, crossed the Yellow River 
during the winter, when it was frozen, and 



HOW-TANG DYNASTY. 337 

threw the court into utter consternation. It 
was very evident that the reign of the Leang 
dynasty was at an end ; and a descendant of 
the famous Le-ke-kung, a great general, mount- 
ed the throne of China, and became the founder 
of the How-tang dynasty, a. d. 923. 



HOW-TANG. 

Chwang-tsao, the first emperor of this line, 
had been inured to hardships from his early 
youth; but, as soon as he had ascended the 
throne, he degenerated into a voluptuary, spent 
his life amongst women, and, like Nero, occa- 
sionally sought to distinguish himself as an 
actor. He was, besides, extremely avaricious, 
and oppressive towards his subjects; but, in 
usurping the throne, he prudently pretended 
that he only wished to revenge the injuries done 
to the Tang family ; and therefore he adopted the 
same name for his own house. He had to sup- 
press several rebellions, and was successful in 
quelling them ; but was at length killed by an 
arrow. Ming-tsung, his successor, a. d. 926, was 
a Tatar by birth ; who had followed Le-ke-yung, 
the father of Chwang-tsung, in his wars, and was 
adopted as his son. Though bom a barbarian, 
he displayed considerable prudence. Under his 
government, China again began to revive ; the 

VOL. I. z 



338 HOW-TSIN DYNASTY 

people rejoiced ; and though the Tatars attacked 
the frontiers, they were not successful. The 
great blessings which descended upon the em- 
pire were ascribed to his piety. 

His son, Min-te, who succeeded to the throne 
in 934, was surrounded by young council* 
lors, who led him to adopt Utopian plans, 
whereby the empire was thrown into a state of 
anarchy. The prince of Lao, his brother, coming 
to the capital, in order to render the last duties 
to his deceased parent, was there proclaimed 
emperor, by the empress dowager, 934. To es- 
tablish his throne, he killed his brother, with 
the whole family; but he was very soon at- 
tacked, in his turn, by She^king-tang ; and all 
his troops refusing to carry arms against the 
usurper, the emperor was finally left, without 
resources^ at Lo-yang, where seeing no means 
of escape, he called together his whole family, 
and, collecting all the badges of the imperial 
dignity, he set them on fire ; and, at the same 
time, burnt himself to death, with his wife and 
family, a. d. 936. 



HOW-TSIN. 



She-ke*tang, though of low extraction, exhi- 
bited great talents, and enjoyed the imperial 
favour. He was the founder of the How-tsin 



HOW-HAN DYNASTY. 339 

dynasty ; but at the cammeiicenient of his reign, & 
solar ecHpse happened, which was said to augur 
eYil to the new dynasty. He was compelled to 
conclude an ignominious peace with the Tatars, 
who had assisted him in waging war against 
the emperor; and ceded to them several districts 
in the province of Pih-chih-le. He adopted the 
name of Kaou-tsoo ; but occupied the throne a 
very few years. 

Tse-wang, or Chufa-te, succeeded him, 943. 
The eastern Tatars, having now grown insolent, 
and invading China with a powerful army, Tae- 
wang sent against them Lew-che-yoen, a very 
able general, who marched with a numerous 
army, not to subdue the enemy, but to pat the 
imperial crown upon his own head. The Tatars, 
emboldened by not meeting resistance, took the 
emperor prisoner, and proclaimed Le-tsung-e 
his soccessw. He had been a prince of How ; 
and feeling his own inability and weakness, in 
A. D. 047, yielded up the imperial diadem to 
Lew-che-yuen, who gave the name of How-han 
to his short-lived dynasty. 



HOW-HAN. 



Le^che-yuen, a soldier of fortune, repelled the 
haughty Tatars, and inspired them with awe ; 
but he reigned too short a time to do much for 

z2 



340 HOW-CHOW DYNASTY. 

the empire, which had severely suffered. His 
son, Yin-te, was a weak prince, under whom 
the western proyinces revolted; and the em* 
peror was unable to quell the rebellion ; for his 
general, whom he had sent against them, went 
over, to the rebels. He was, at first, therefore, 
humbled by misfortunes;, but when success 
crowned his arms, he forgot, his faithful ser- 
vants, and acted like a tyrant towards his best 
friends, whilst worthless voluptuaries were his 
only councillors. Whilst engaged in^ quellii^; 
a rebellion, he was slain, in 950. His broths, 
Lew-pin, succeeded Iiim; but was unable to 
maintain himself against his general, Kwo-wei, 
who laid the foundation of another djmasty. 



HOW-CHOW. 

The empress, seeing no possibility of main- 
taining her son upon the throne, herself pro- 
claimed Kwopwei emperor. Many generals and 
governors disapproved of this choice ; but the 
wise measures of Kwo-wei, who had adopted 
the name of Tae-tsoo, put a stop to dissension 
and war. The government, after his death, in 
954, devolved upon She-tsung, a wise and ami- 
able prince, who always kept the instruments 
of husbandry in his palace to remind him of his 
low extraction. He had to wage war against. 



HOW-CHOW DYNASTY. 341 

the prince of Han, who refused to acknowledge 
his authority ; and China was now again divided 
into many petty states, which maintained their 
independence against the emperors. She-tsung 
laboured to remove this evil ; but encountered 
too obstinate a resistance. When, however, he 
had somewhat humbled them, he turned his 
attention towards the Tatars, the implacable 
enemies of the empire. It was his intention to 
chase these barbarians beyond the frontiers; 
but his generals, contemplating the dangers 
which might attend such an undertaking, were 
unwilling to second his views. After having 
gained some advantages over them, he withdrew 
from Leaou-tung. Few princes applied them- 
selves so earnestly to give satisfaction to the 
whole nation. He severely punished the crimes 
of the mandarins, and insisted that every one 
should strictly perform his duty. An enemy to 
idolatry, he pulled down the temples, and ex- 
pelled the useless drones from their haunts. At 
the same time, he encouraged literature, and 
perused himself the best books. 

His successor, Kung-te, son of She-tsung, 
prince of Leang, being still very young, was 
put under the guardianship of Chaou-kwang-yin, 
an experienced minister. His known integrity 
was highly valued by the commanders of the 
imperial army. They despised the child, who 



342 HOW- CHOW DTNASTT. 

sat upon the throne, and resolyed to substitute 
Chaou^kwang-yin. It was reported at court, 
that the princes of Han meditated an attack upon 
China, in conjunction with the Tatars of Leaou- 
tung. The imperial council gave orders to pre- 
vent this attack to Chaou-kwang-yin, who was 
equally celebrated in the field and in the cabi- 
net. As soon as he showed himself, there arose 
a general cry of the people, who exclaimed: 
'' This general is worthy to command the anny, 
and ought to be raised to the throne." An as- 
trologer, who pretended to see two suns in Hea- 
ven, strengthened them in their predilections, 
and Chaou-kwang-yin, the founder of the Sung 
dynasty, was proclaimed emperor, but rduc- 
tantly accepted this high dignity. Whilst ex- 
postulating with the ministers of state, Lo-yin- 
hwan, a general officer, entered the council cham- 
ber sword in hand, saying, '' the empire has no 
lord, and we want to create one ; can we make 
a better choice than of this, our General^ 
Chaou-kwang-yin ? He then yielded, and re- 
ceived a memorial, containing the abdication of 
the young emperor.* 

* See Histoire Gi^nirak, voK vi. aad vii. Lew-he, AnBai» 
p( Tang, Sang-kung-lean^, History of Tang. Shih-keae. com- 
plete history of Tang. 



SUNG DYNASTY. 343 

SUNG DYNASTY. 
FROM 960 TO 1279, A. D. 

Chaott-kwang-yin, who receiyed the name of 
Kaou-tsoo — ** Grand-exalted Sire," was de- 
scended from a family which held high offices 
of state. At his inauguration, he published a 
general amnesty, confirmed the mandarins in 
their respective Appointments ; and raised his 
ancestors for four generations to imperial rank. 
Though he himself was not well versed in lite- 
rature, he established colleges, and encourc^ed 
learning by great rewards. An enemy to luxury, 
he kept the female branches of his family under 
great restrictions, and caused them to be sparing 
in their attire. By showing the utmost cle- 
mency towards his enemies, he expected to in- 
iluce them to submission ; but the independent 
states, refusing to acknowledge his authority, 
their obstinacy induced him to march against 
them with a numerous army, to force them 
into terms. The prince of Choo being pressed by 
the imperial army, tendered his resignation, in 
the most submissive terms, and his whole prin- 
cipality, which contained several millions of in- 
habitants, was incorporated with the empire. 
The northern Han princes, supported by the 
Tatars, maintained themselves bravely against 
the imperial troops; whilst the southern Han 



344 SUNG DYNASTY. 

state lost its independence. The emperor now 
ventured to attack the prince of Keang-uan, and 
subjugated this province to his sway ; but shed 
tears on account of the great effusion of blood, 
which these continual wars rendered necessary. 
The Tatars in Leaou-tung, now began to tremble 
for their own safety, and when the emperor a 
second time invaded the northern Han state, 
they sent no auxiliaries. The country was thus, 
after an obstinate resistance, and bloody war, 
conquered, but Kaou-tsoo did not see the end of 
this war ; he died in 976, regretted by all his 
subjects, whom he loved like a father. He was 
severe towards the mandarins, but spared the 
people, for whom he kept open the four gates of 
his palace, saying : '' This, my house, shall be 
like my heart, — open to all my subjects." 

Tae-tsung, his son, succeeded him upon the 
throne. Indignant at seeing the Tatars in pos- 
session of Leaou-tung, he resolved to expel them 
by force ; but he could not conquer these brave 
people, who, in their turn, invaded China. But 
the imperial army surprised the Tatars, by taking 
bundles of straw in their hand, and kindling it 
during the night, whilst they marched towards 
the camp ; which threw tliem in such consterna- 
tion, that the whole army fled without offing 
the least resistance. But this victory produced 
no decided result ; and the emperor was, in the 



SUNG DYNASTY. 345 

end, compelled to conclude a peace. He died, 
after having waged a great many wars, in 997. 

His successor Chin-tsung, agreed to pay the 
Tatars a considerable tribute, in order to 
induce them to abstain from their incursions. 
This act brought great blame upon him, for 
his generals asserted, that he might have 
driven them to their ancient abodes, and taken 
from them all the cities, which they had 
conquered from the Chinese. The province of 
Sze-chuen, which had before revolted, again 
broke out into open rebellion. Wang-keung, 
was chosen chief by the rebels, and he declared 
himself independent. They at first vanquished 
the Chinese, but were afterwards totally routed 
and dispersed. A second campaign against the 
Tatars, in which the emperor himself headed 
the army, was not so successful. The emperor 
was thrown into a state of melancholy, when he 
reflected what disgrace the empire had suffered 
by these barbarians, and at the same time saw 
the impossibility of conquering them. Happen* 
ing to see in a dream a spirit who addressed 
him, he, next morning, when he gave audience, 
and all the mandarins had assembled, recounted 
his dream, at the same time a book was pro- 
duced, wrapped in yellow silk, corresponding to 
the vision. The emperor opened it, and there 
found the destiny of the Sung dynasty, with 



d4iS 6UNG DYNASTV. 

some moral instnictions. He so fully believed 
the story, that it had fallen from Heaven, that 
he honoured and preserved it as the best relic 
he could have obtained. Thus he went on dream- 
ing, until he rendered himself ridiculous. He 
made a census of all the families, who paid tri- 
bute, in 1014, and found the number to be 
9,955,729. 

Though he himself was a weak-minded prince, 
he had some very able ministers, the most 
celebrated amongst whom was Wang-tan, who 
spoke little and did much. He alleviated the 
burdens of the people, and showed himself 
very able in the choice of mandarins ; but the 
eunuchs again gained the ascendancy at court, 
while the emperor occupied himself with trifles 
Another book now fell from Heaven, which he 
likewise received as a celestial gift, sent on pur- 
pose to instruct him. The grandees openly re- 
monstrated against this folly, but the emperor 
was averse to listen to their censure. He col- 
lected a great number of Bonzes and Taou-sze, 
to whom he gave a public audience, to the great 
scandal of the literati, who thought themselves 
the only persons, who should enjoy such privi* 
leges. He died in 1022, and the two celestial 
books, which had effected so much mischief, 
were buried with him. 

Jing-tsung, a youth, was his successor, and the 



SUNG DYNASTY. 347 

empress governed the empire during his minority. 
When he had come to age, he showed no great 
inclination to revenge the wrongs of his country 
done by the Tatars ; and a threatened invasion^ 
made him willing to pay an annual tribute of 
200,000 taels, besides a great quantity of silk- 
piece goods, to indemnify them tor the loss of 
some cities, which Tae*tsoo had taken from them. 

As he had no children, his nephew, Ying- 
tsung, was his successor, 1063. The empress 
assumed a share in the government, which 
might have given rise to many serious quarrels, 
if the prime-minister had not interfered, and by 
his salutary advice restored harmony. Learn- 
ing flourished under his successor, Shin-tsung, 
but there were no original writers, and China 
was deluged with commentators, who, wiser than 
their ancestors, explained away the few pas- 
sages, which referred to a Divine Being. Mate- 
rialism now became the fashionable philosojAy, 
and whilst the literati sacriliced to the idols, 
they believed that there was no God. The em- 
peror intended to humble the Tatars, but pre- 
ferred peace to war. Che-tsung died after a 
short reign, having done nothing worthy to be 
recorded in history: his mother, in fact may 
be said to have reigned in his stead, a. d. 1 100. 

His successor, Hwuy-tsung, was a great pa- 
tron of the eunuchs, on whom he not only con- 



348 SUNG DYNASTY. 

ferred offices, but whole principalities ; and these 
audacious courtiers, presuming more and more 
upon the bounty of this weak prince, became a 
scourge to the empire. To expel the Tatars 
from Leaou-tsung, the emperor took the Neu- 
che Tatars into his service, who performed the 
task effectually, but took possession of this 
country for themselves, and as they saw the 
weakness of the Chinese empire, invaded the 
Pechele and Shen-se provinces. The emperor 
himself was anxious to meet them, in order to 
assign them the limits of their conquest, but 
the treaty was broke, and the Tatars took 
Shan-se. Thus straitened, the emperor hastened 
towards the Tatar camp to conclude a peace, 
and was taken prisoner, in 1125. 

His son, Prin-tsung, immediately put the six 
ministers to death, who had betrayed his father 
into the hands of the barbarians ; but he could 
neither repel their forces, or oblige them to 
liberate his father. On the contrary, they con- 
quered the province of Honan, without meeting 
with any resistance. Marching towards the 
capital, they took it, and entered the palace; 
the whole imperial family fell into their hands ; 
one only of the empresses escaping captivity by 
a stratagem. Many of the nobles committed 
suicide, to escape the hands of these barba- 
rians, who pillaged the city, and committed 



SUNG DYNASTY. 349 

great excesses. The Tatars, imitating the Chi- 
nese, adopted the name of Kin for their reign. 

Kaou-tsung, his brother, who came to the 
throne after him, in 1127, transferred his court 
to Hang-choo, the capital of Che-keang ; and 
gained some advantage over the Tatars, but 
very soon lost it. It was his wish to gain the 
good will of the Tatars by adulations, and he 
employed the word Chin, " Servant," used by 
officers when addressing their sovereign, to de- 
signate himself. But all these concessions 
could not satisfy the Tatars, who though they 
gave up the dead bodies of the imperial pri- 
soners, yielded not an inch of ground; and 
it was only the Yang*tsze-keang, which put 
bounds to their encroachments. Their king 
ordered them to cross it on horseback ; but they 
refused to obey, for fear of being carried into 
the sea ; but as the commander insisted upon 
it, he was slain, and the army dispersed. 

Under Heaou-tsung, 1162, lived the cele- 
brated commentator, Choo-he, who wrote upon all 
the classics. His remarks render the text very 
intelligible; he indeed did so much, that all 
others after him, who undertook the same work, 
have only perverted the classics by their false 
glosses. Kwang-tsung, 1189, reigned in peace : 
his successor, Ning-tsung, invoked the help of 
the Mongol Tatars, to drive the Kin out of 



350 SUNG DYKASTT. 

China, 1 194. These new guests very soon con* 
quered the Kin, but instead of giving the con* 
quest to its rightful owner, they kept it for 
themselves, and thus laid the foundation of the 
celebrated Yuen dynasty. They were then led 
by the invincible Genghis, who never met with 
an enemy whom he did not put to flight. But 
whilst these great princes swayed the Tatar 
hordes, and conquered one province aft^ the 
other, China had a weak and worthless prince 
in Le-tsung, who was occupied with the dreams 
of the Taou sect, whilst his whole empire went 
to ruins, 1225. The ravages which the Tatars 
made were horrible, and the blood of the peace- 
ful citizens flowed in streams. The Kin resist- 
ed for a considerable time the terrible attacks 
of the Mongols ; but were finally compelled to 
give way. This involved the poor Chinese in 
constant troubles, for both the conquerors and 
the vanquished plundered the country. 

Under Too-tsung, 1266, many of the Chinese 
grandees sided with the Tatars, for the emperor 
was a vicious and worthless prince, and the 
Tatars were governed by the celebrated Kublai 
Khan. Too-tsung was plunged in pleasure, 
whilst the Mongols took from him one city after 
the other. All his armies were repulsed with 
great loss, and no Chinese general ever gamed 
a decisive victory. Kublai was tempted by the 



SUNG DYNASTY. 361 

king of Korea, to attack Japan, which might 
have saved the empire ; but he soon resolved to 
turn all his strength upon China, and thus the 
ruin of the Sung dynasty was decreed. 

Three youths survived their unworthy father, 
Too-tsung, to witness the destruction of the 
empire. The seoond of them assumed the pur- 
pie, under the name of Kung-tsung, 1224. 
Kublai published a proclamation, in which he 
enumerated the reasons which actuated him in 
subduing China. '^ Peace, which was offered 
by my ancestors/' he said, ^' was rejected. I 
myself wished to remain quiet» and sent an 
ambassador, who was detained at the Chinese 
court, against the law of nations, and now I de- 
clare war." He immediately ordered his two 
generals to cross the frontiers. In vain did the 
empiess*dowager, who governed during the mi- 
norit}* of her son, implore mercy, the victorious 
Tatar general Peyen did not stop in his march ; 
the young emperor was taken captive, and sent 
into the desert of Shamo : Peyen entered the 
capital, Hang-choo. The efforts to rescue the 
young emperor out of the hands of the Mongols, 
prov^ unsuccessful ; and he had to submit to 
his lot. The Mongols now sent also a fleet into 
the sea, which took possession of Canton, 1277. 
The young emperor, Twan-tsung had taken re- 
fuge on board of his own fleet, to save his life, 



352 SUNG DYNASTT. 

which was everywhere in jeopardy : the vessel 
on board of which he was, foundered, and he 
was with difficulty saved. He died on the island 
of Kang-choo, aged eleven years. The imperial 
fleet was at the Yae island at anchor, and Te- 
ping, the young emperor, was on board. His 
army on shore had suffered rej^eated defeats, 
and the soldiers were uH scattered. The Mon- 
gol fleet sailed in search of them, and the admi- 
ral proposed to them to surrender, which the Chi- 
nese minister haughtily refused. He, therefore, 
made a general attack upon the Chinese, which 
lasted a whole day, and ended in their entire de- 
feat. Loo-sew-foo endeavoured to escape with 
the young emperor, but he could not get out of 
the straits. He first threw his wife and children 
overboard, and then addressing the young prince, 
he said, ^^ It is better to die free, than to disho- 
nour one's ancestors by an ignominious capti- 
vity." So saying, without waiting for a reply, 
he took the prince and jumped into the sea. 
Thus ended the Sung dynasty. The empress, 
and many of the grandees followed his example. 
The imperial fleet was driven about, and scat- 
tered by the storm ; the admiral plunged into the 
sea, and all resistance against the victorious 
Mongols ceased, 1279. * 

* See Histoire Generate, vols, vii., viii., and ix., and the 
Wang-keen-e-che. 



MONGOL OR YVEN DTNASTY. 353 



MONGOL OR YUEN DYNASTY. 
FROM 1279 TO 1368, A. D. 

We now behold a race of foreigners seated on 
the throne of China. Before we detail their 
history, let us trace their origin, and describe 
the exploits of their countrymen, who did not 
enter China, but carried their victorious arms 
towards the west. 

The plateau of central Asia has, in all ages, 
poured forth swarms of wild barbarians, who 
reduced the inhabitants of the vanquished coun- 
tries to the level of their own rudeness. Accus- 
tomed to live in deserts, with immense pastures 
before them, they envied civilized nations their 
cities and villages ; and what savage fury and 
fire could not destroy, the hoofs of their horses 
trod down. We can form no idea of the pro- 
lific Tatar tribes ; though myriads of their coun- 
trymen might migrate to foreign lands, eager for 
conquest, though millions might amalgamate 
with the vast Chinese nation, so that even their 
name was no more known, others appeared as if 
by magic, and overflowed the surrounding coun- 
tries, like an irresistible torrent. All their in- 

VOL. I. A A 



354 MONGOL, OR 

testine wars could not thin these numberless 
swarms ; the steppes of Asia, though barren in 
the vegetation of plants, furnished the world 
with innumerable destroyers of the human 
race. 

We have occasionally mentioned the Mongols 
or Moguls, as a numerous, warlike, tribe. 
Scarcely had the Huns evacuated their abodes, 
when the Turks began to expand, and were 
afterwards followed by the Mongols. Abstaining 
from all anterior research, we commence with 
that famous person who led his nation to glory 
and conquest. 

Temugin, — Genghis-khan, — lost his father 
when he was still very young. The former had 
reigned over thirteen Tatar hordes, but these 
warlike tribes spurned the idea of being governed 
by a child. The youth fought a battle against 
his r^eliious subjects, but was obliged to fly. 
Amidst a few fugitives he found kindred souls, 
who pledged themselves to divide the Aweets 
and bitters of life. Temugin shared among 
them bis horses and apparel, they sealed their 
covenant by sacrificing a horse and tasting of A 
running stream ; and from this moment we see in 
Grenghis, though still an* unbearded youth, an 
invincible conqueror. Proving at length vic- 
torious over the reb^, who had xefused to ac- 



YUEN DYNASTY. 355 

knowledge his sway, to give a warning to others, 
he cast the leaders into a boiling cauldron. He 
then conquered one of the Christian Tatar princes, 
who refused obedience to his laws ; and, to in- 
spire terror, he drank, at his public banquets, 
out of the skull of Prester-John. 

As if aware of the decrees of fate, — of the 
great distinction, for which he had been singled 
out and endowed by an Almighty power, he 
pretended to have been born of an immaculate, 
virgin. '' From heaven," he said, ^^ I have re- 
ceived the title of Genghis, I have, a divine right 
to the conquest and dominion of the earth/' 
Seated upon a felt, he was proclaimed, by a 
general diet, khan of the Mongols and Tatars. 

To give stability to his new empire, he creat- 
ed new laws; adultery, murder, perjury, theft 
of a horse or ox, were punished with death. The 
wholfe Mongol nation was pronounced a nation 
of free men, lords who were entitled to spend 
their lives in hunting, waging war, and idle- 
ness ; all drudgery and labour being left to the 
slaves and women. Their troops were armed 
with bows, spears, scimetars, and knives ; they< 
were divided into hundreds, thousandSp' and tens 
of thonsands. Woe to the coward who left his 
ranks: vanquish or die, this was the martial 
law. They had then no alphabet, no learning, 

aa2 



f / 



356 MONGOL, OK 

their traditions supplied the deficiency, though 
they adopted afterwards the Kufic or Syrian 
character. Though this had, very probably, 
been taught them by the Christians, the fact 
was not generally known ; and accordingly they 
formed their characters in imitation of the Chris- 
tian writings. Possessing little religion, they 
were very superstitious in their usages, though 
they do not appear to have been bigoted idol- 
aters. 

The yalour of Genghis was at first directed 
against surrounding savage tribes, who were 
very soon subdued. The vassal of China carried 
his arms into the heart of the celestial empire, 
and humbled the insolent Chinese ; and at one 
time, conceived the plan of converting the whole 
of the northern provinces into one vast pastu- 
rage, like his own steppes. The inhabitants,* 
who had surrendered at discretion, were ordered 
to evacuate their houses and to assemble in a* 
vast plain, where all those who could bear arms 
were either instantly massacred, or enlisted into 
the Mongol army. The fine women, and artifi- 
cers, in short, all useful persons, were divided 
amongst his soldiers, in equal lots, who carried 
on a regular trade in human beings, and de- 
manded a high ransom from those who could 
pay it. Poor helpless wretches, who were a 



YUEN DYNASTY. 357 

burden to the conquerors, were sent back to 
their native country, and condemned to pay a 
heavy tribute to their savage victors. If they 
were irritated by the vanquished foe, they 
levelled their habitations with the ground, 
and boasted that a horse might ride, without 
stumbling, over the place where a city once 
stood. With relentless cruelty they extirpated 
whole races, and gloried in their feats of in- 
human valour. 

Genghis encountered in the west the sultan of 
Kharizmia, in whose veins Turkish blood flow- 
ed. After having satiated himself with blood, 
he wished to establish a friendly intercourse 
with the Mohammedan princes; but unhap- 
pily these Turkish rulers knew not how to value 
the preferred friendship. A caravan of three 
ambassadors, and 150 merchants, was arrested 
and murdered by the sultan. Genghis, before 
he chastised his enemy, fasted and prayed for 
three days and three nights on a mountain ; 
appealing to the judgment of God and of his 
sword. An army of 700,000 Mongols met half 
the number of Mohammedans, in the plains to 
the north of the Jihon or laxartes. The sul-^ 
tan was astonished at the fierce Mongolian 
valour, and trusted to his fortresses to prevent 
their invasion, and effect their expulsion. But 



358 MOVCOL, OR 

they were grossly mistaken ; one city after the 
other surrendered, and the work of destruotion 
was carried on methodically. From the Casp^ 
an sea to the Indus, the Mongols ruined within 
four years, more than four centuries of continual 
labour have yet restored. Genghis himself ea- 
couraged the fury of his troops ; to take revenge 
and exercise justice, he destroyed the peace- 
ful habitations of many millions, who had never 
offended him. The most flourishing cities be- 
came a heap of ruins. Samarkand, Bokhara, 
Nizabour, Balkh, and Kandahar shared in the 
same destruction. He followed the vanquished 
Mohammedans to the Indus, where the valour 
of the remaining sultan was acknowledged even 
by Genghis himself. His army pining away, 
however, under a vertical sun, and loaded with 
spoil, forced their leader to return home. In 
his retreat he saw the ruins of the cities, whidi 
had been swept away by the tempest of his 
victories, and promised to rebuild them. He 
now met with one of his generals whom he had 
dispatched to subdue the western provinces of 
Persia ; and who had trampled upon the now 
vanquished nations, and carried destruction to 
all the tribes around the Caspian sea. Hav- 
ing reduced the rebellious Tatars, he de- 
parted this life stained with blood ; and, with 



YUEN DYNASTY. 359 

his last dying breath, exhorted his sons to at- 
tempt the conquest of China. 

Five hundred wives and concubines composed 
the harem of Grenghis. His four sons, illustrious 
for talent and their high extraction, had occu- 
pied the highest offices of state. Tushi was his 
great huntsman, Zagatai his judge. Octal his 
minister, and Tuli his general. They had been 
educated in the camp, beheld their father's 
victories, and had themselves conquered. They 
proclaimed Octal, great khan. He was suc- 
ceeded by his son Gaiyuk, after whose death 
the empire devolved to his cousins^ Mangou 
and Kublai, the sons of Tuli, the grandsons of 
Genghis. 

The conquest of Persia was effected by Ho- 
lagu-khan, the brother and lieutenant of the 
emperors Kublai and Mangou. At the Caucasus 
he extirpated the race of the Assassins, or Is- 
maelians, whose principal occupation consisted 
in slaughtering or assassinating their fellow- 
creatures. When the victor approached Bagdad, 
the residence of an effeminate khalif^ Holagu 
was met by an insolent messenger, who an- 
nounced to the invincible Mongol that the 
throne of the sons of Abbas, being founded 
upon a divine decree, their foes should surely 
be destroyed in this world and in the next. 



360 MONGOL, OR 

'^ Who is this Holagu/' exclaimed the khalif, 
** who dares to rise against me ? If he be de- 
sirous of peace, let him instantly depart from 
this sacred territory, and perhaps he may obtain 
from our clemency the pardon of his fault.'" 
This false security had taken possession of the 
khalif, who constantly lived in his harem, be* 
cause his vizir assured him that, if the barbae 
rians dared to enter the holy city, children and 
women would be able to overwhelm them with 
stones. Bagdad was taken, after a siege of two 
months : Holagu sacked the city, and kiUed the 
last khaliph, Mostassem. Anxious to give suc- 
cour to the Christians, against his implacable 
foes, the Mohammedans, he took his way towards 
Palestine ; and all the cities in the route surren- 
dered to the victor. Anatolia and Armenia fell 
into his power ; and there remained scarcely a 
shadow of the once powerful Seljukian race, 
1272. 

After the conquest of the northern parts of 
China, Octal sent his nephew, Baton, into the 
West. They passed on horseback, or in lea- 
thern boats, the Wolga, Kama, Don, and Borys- 
thenes, the Vistula, and the Danube. The 
civil discord which reigned in Russia, betrayed 
the country to the Tatars ; who spreading from 
Livonia to the Black Sea, reduced the capitals to 
ashes, and penetrated into Poland and Germany. 



YUEN DYNASTY, 361 

In Silesia, the Germans and Poles made a stand, 
a bloody battle was fought, and the savage Mon- 
gols had the satisfaction of filling nine sacks 
with the right-ears of the slain. With more 
savage fury, they spread themselves over Hun- 
garia: in one summer they accomplished the 
work of destruction so totally, that scarcely 
any city remained. But their wild, destructive 
cruelty raised against them a great many ene- 
mies. The emperor of Germany besought all 
German and European princes to hasten to his 
assistance : it was a common danger, which all 
ought to repel, to avoid being themselves in- 
volved in destruction. The Mongols were just 
on the point of penetrating into southern Ger- 
many, when a large Germao force advanced ; 
upon which they thought proper to withdraw, 
laying waste Servia, Bosnia, and Bulgaria, in 
their retreat. 

Whilst Baton was engaged in Europe, his 
brother, Sheibani-khan, penetrated into the 
frozen region of Siberia, and conquered there a 
country which nobody contested. The pope, 
indignant that these monsters ravaged so many 
countries, sent an embassy of some monks to 
Baton, who had orders to convert the khan. 
But the savage answered, that' he was invested 
with divine power, to extirpate the nations ; and 
threatened the pope to involve him in the same 



362 MONGOL, OR 



destruction, unless he visited him in person as 
a suppliant. Their court was held in Asia, at 
the village of Karakorum, where the ambassa- 
dors of the different vanquished nations ap- 
proached as humble slaves, who looked up for 
existence to these cruel masters. Batou died 
on his march to attack Constantinople. Boiga, 
his brother, carried the victorious Tatar arms 
into Bulgaria and Thrace, where Michael Pa* 
Iseologus was surrounded, in a castle, by 20,000 
Tatars. Their general, Noga, raised a formid- 
able rebellion against Mongo-Timour ; and mar- 
ried a daughter of the Grecian emperor, whom 
he faithfully served. The Turkish empire, in 
Asia, was almost dissolved ; but very soon reco^ 
vered, and bega9 to flourish more than ever 
under the Ottomans. 

Timour, or Tamerlane, who, as some assert, 
was descended from the noble family of Genghis; 
but, according to others, the son of a common 
peasant, was bom in 1361, near Samarkand, at 
a time when anarchy filled the unwieldy Mon- 
gol empire. His life was full of dangers. The 
Kalmucks had invaded his native country ; his 
courage was called forth by his suffering coun- 
trymen; but he was betrayed in the hour of 
danger, obliged to flee with a few horsemen, and 
finally thrown into a dungeon. From hence he 
escaped by his undaunted valour ; but was for a 



VUEN DYNASTir, 363 

very long time a vagrant in the deitert. Having 
become a brother*in-law to the Emir Honssein, 
he gradually acquired pow^; Honssein was 
killed ; and Timour reigned alone over Zagatai. 
Though the Mongols, at their first outset, had 
been declared enemies of the Mohammedans, 
those who lived in Persia and Turkestan had 
gradually become proselytes to Islamism ; and 
Timour himself was a staunch Moslem. When 
he had firmly seated himself upon the throne of 
Zagatai, he turned his attention towards Persia, 
which was still under the government of a de- 
scendant of Holagu. He conquered the coun- 
try, and punished those who resisted his arms. 
The Christians of Georgia long withstood his 
attacks; but Timour waged against them a 
holy, extirpating war ; they fell into his hands ; 
and the crescent was planted where the cross 
had stood. But he was not always victorious. 
By his power, Toctamish, a fugitive prince of 
Turkestan, of the Mongol race, had been rein- 
stated in the empire of Mongolia, which then 
comprised a part of Russia. However, this un- 
grateful prince undertook, with an immense 
army, to drive his benefactor, Timour, from the 
throne. He approached Samarkand, where 
Timour was constrained to fight for his life and 
crown ; but he very soon raUied his forces, drove 
the enemy from his territory, and vanquished 



364 MONGOL, OR 

him in a pitched, bloody battle. He wreaked 
his vengeance upon the peaceful inhabitants of 
Russia, and destroyed Astrakan, Serai, and 
Azov, then a rich emporium of Venetian mer- 
chants. When he had terminated this conquest, 
he turned his attention towards Hindoostan. His 
soldiers murmured, on account of the dangers 
they would have to encounter in trackless deserts, 
and under a vertical sun ; but Timour laughed 
at their fears, and commanded them to march 
forward. It proved, however, to be a toilsome 
undertaking ; but he arrived at Delhi, and the 
blood of the Hindoos flowed in torrents. Hav« 
ing satisfied his pious zeal upon the infidels, he 
left the conquered country to his generals, and 
hastened to western Asia. The remainder of 
the Christisms, in Georgia, were in open rebel* 
lion ; and defended themselves, in their moun* 
tains, like free men; but the valour of the 
Mongols was irresistible, and they had finally 
to choose between the abjuration of their faith 
and death. Many became martyrs, and did 
honour to their profession. 

Timour was now the neighbour of the haughty 
Ottoman, Bajazet. He wrote him an insulting 
letter, which concluded with the following words: 
'' Thou art no more than a pismire : why wilt 
thou endeavour to provoke the elephants ? Alas ! 
they will trample thee under their feet." Ba- 



YUEN DYNASTY. 365 

jazet was indignant at such insulting language, 
and retorted. Timour's first expedition against 
his undaunted rival took place in 1400 ; but he 
only took one place on the frontiers, where he 
buried alive 4000 Armenians, who obstinately 
defended it. Seeing that Bajazet was engaged 
in the blockade of Constantinople, he was too 
pious a Musulman not to respect his holy occu- 
pation. He, therefore, invaded Syria, took se- 
veral cities, routed the Mamalooks, and declared 
that, in all his wars, he had never been the ag- 
gressor, his enemies having always been the 
authors of their own calamity. Whilst the 
streets of Aleppo streamed with blood, and 
re-echoed with the cries of helpless babes, who 
were slaughtered with relentless cruelty, the 
insolent conqueror talked of peace. Two years 
had now elapsed, and the sultan, Bajazet, had 
been preserved from ruin. After this period, 
there was nothing more to hope for him. But 
he had collected an immense force, which met 
the invincible Mongols in the plains of Angora. 
The victory was obstinately contested ; but the 
Turkish forces could no longer withstand the 
wild valour of the conqueror ; they were totally 
defeated, and Bajazet himself taken prisoner. 
Broussa and Nice submitted to the victor ; Smyr- 
na, defended by the valorous knights of Rhodes, 
was taken by storm, all that breathed was put 



306 MONOOL, OR 

to the sword, and the heads of the Christian 
heroes were launched from the engines on board 
of two European ships in the harbour. Bajazet, 
according to the most credible writers, being 
k0pt in an iron cage, and led about in triumph, 
died of a broken heart. Soliman, his son, guard- 
ed, with the Byzantine emperor, the Bosphorus, 
to prevent the landing of these destroyers of 
mankind on the opposite shore. To soothe the 
vengeful conqueror, they paid a heavy tribute, 
and acknowledged themselves vassals. 

Timour, though now in an advanced age, was 
still meditating how to conquer the world. To 
subject northern Africa and all Wicstem Europe 
to his sway, was now the grand object of his 
desires. He marched with an anny towards 
Egypt ; but repented of his undertaking. Hav- 
ing shed so much Moslem blood, he wished to 
expiate his guilt by the death of millions of 
pagans. His mind was shocked at the idea, that 
the Chinese had driven the house of Genghis 
from the throne, and he was desirous of reveng- 
ing the injury done to his relations. His ge- 
nerals received orders to subdue the pagan 
Kalmucks and Mongols, whilst he marched 
slowly to Samarkand, his capital, where he cele- 
brated the splendid nuptials of his grand* 
children, and gave himself entirely over to plea- 
sure; but this lasted only a very short time. 



YUEN DYNASTY, 367 

The standard for the invasion of the farthest 
East was unfurled, to propagate the law of the 
prophet being the principal object of this expedi- 
tion. China was to renounce idolatry and adore 
Allah, the temples of idols were to be razed to 
the ground, and the priests to be murdered. 
Neither age, nor the severity of the weather 
could retard the march of Timour ; and an innu- 
merable host was on their way to the celestial 
empire, when the conqueror was cut off suddenly 
by an Almighty hand. He died of a fever, his 
designs were lost, his armies disbanded, and 
China saved ftom inevitable destruction. He 
left thirty-six sons and grandsons, but none who 
equalled their father. The Mongol empire was 
divided and lost ; a fragment was upheld by his 
youngest son Sharokh, but after his death the 
whole fell again into a state of anarchy. 3e{ote 
a century had elapsed, Transoxiana and Persia 
were laid waste by the Uzbek Tatars ; his de- 
scendant in the fifth degree hod to flee to Hin- 
doostan, where he founded the celebrated empire 
of the Great Mogul. Though at first very large 
and powerful, it was gradually annihifarted, and 
the imperial city of Delhi plundered. There ex-> 
ists still a shadow of an emperor without power 
and influence, and a humble pensioner of the 
Honourable East India Company. Whether 
any of his descendants, or those of Genghis, 



368 MONGOL, OR 

are still the chiefs of hordes in Mongolia, we* 
have not been able to ascertain ; but no longer 
famous for their valour, they are now the simple 
slaves of their Mantchoo masters. In Europe, 
where their name is either forgotten or held in 
execration, there exists not a vestige of their 
former empire. Though the Grand Mogul is a 
mere shadow, the numerous posterity of the 
conquerors, proves the extent of the Mongol 
conquests in India. In Persia also are many 
traces left ; in Turkestan the conquerors mixed 
with the natives, and lost their nationality. 
Though the southern Mongols adopted the reli- 
gion of the vanquished, the inhabitants of the 
steppes became humble votaries of Shamanism, 
which they received from Tibet. History does 
not exactly inform us, whether the Mongols pe- 
netrated into this mountainous country or not ; 
but it is very likely, that Tibet did not escape 
their thirst after rapine. After so many emi- 
grations and bloody wars, it is extraordinary 
that the Mongols should still be the most nu- 
merous tribe of the Tatars. Their Siberian 
empire has fallen to the lot of the Russians. In 
vain would they try at the present period to ex- 
tend their conquest to the west, they would 
meet with a formidable enemy, who might an- 
nihilate them, before they even had passed the 
frontiers of the desert. But China is still open 



YUEN DYNASTY. 369 

to their inroads ; what resistaace could the em- 
peror give to these wild hordes/ if they all at 
once poured upon his empire? But we hope 
this may never take place ; but rather, that the 
Chinese may so improve in arts and sciences, 
as to oppose an effectual barrier to their in- 
vasion. 

The conquerors of China showed a better po- 
licy in regard to their new subjects. Though 
torrents of blood had flowed, and whole pro- 
vinces been laid waste, Che-yuen — Houpilai — 
or She-tsoo, the name given to him in the an- 
cestorial hall, was too great a politician to wield 
the sword longer than it was absolutely neces- 
sary. This celebrated emperor, better known 
under the name of Kublai-Khan, granted peace 
and happiness to his subjects, as soon as he 
was firmly seated upon the throne. We should 
not so well understand the character of this 
prince, if Marco Polo, who was intimately ac- 
quainted with him, had not given us a full de- 
scription. '' Kublai-Khan,'" he says, ** is the 
lineal and legitimate descendant of Grenghis, and 
the rightful sovereign of the Tatars. He is the 
sixth khan, and began his reign in the year 
1256, (he ante*dates, Chinese historians begin 
to count his reign from 1280, when he was in 
possession of the whole empire,) being then 
twenty-seven years of age. He obtained the 

VOL. I. B B 



370 MONGOL, OR 

sovereignty by his consummate valour, his vir* 
tues and his prudence, in opposition to the de* 
signs of his brothers, supported by many of the 
great officers and members of his own family. 
Previously to his ascending the throne, he had 
served as a volunteer in the army, and endea- 
voured to take a share in every enterprise. Not 
only was he brave and daring in action, but in 
point of judgment and military skill, he was 
considered to be the most able and successful 
commander that ever led the Tatars to battle. 
From that period, however, he ceased to take 
the field in person, and entrusted the conduct 
of expeditions to his sons and captains, except* 
ing in one instance, the occasion of which was 
as follows : — ^A certain chief, named Nayan, 
who, although only thirty yeais of c^, was 
uncle to Kublai, had succeeded to the dominion 
of many cities and provinces, which enabled 
him to bring into the field an army of 400,000 
horse. His predecessors, however, had been 
vassals of the grand khan. Actuated by youth* 
ful vanity, upon finding himself at the head of 
so. great a force, he formed in the year 1286, 
the design of throwing off his allegiance and 
usurping the sovereignty. With this view, he 
privately dispatched messengers to Kaidu, an* 
other powerful chief, whose territories lay to* 
wards the greater Turkey (Turkestan), and 



YUEN DYNASTY. 371 

who, although a nephew of the grand khan, 
was in rebellion against him. As soon as Kub- 
lai had received notice of this, he collected 
360,000 horse, and 100,000 foot, consisting of 
those individuals, who were usually about his 
person, and principally his falconers and do* 
mestic servants, (he must have had a great 
many). But this was not his whole army; 
many thousand Mongols were scattered through- 
out the provinces, not only maintained from the 
pay they received from the imperial treasury, 
but also from the cattle and their milk. Kublai 
reached within twenty^ve days the camp of his 
enemy ; he called his astrologers to ascertain, 
by virtue of their art, and to declare in presence 
of their whole army, to which side victory would 
incline. They ascended the hill with alacrity, 
which separated them from their enemy, who 
was negligently posted. In front of each bat- 
talion of horse were placed 500 infantry, armed 
with short lances and swords, who, whenever 
the cavalry made a show of flight, were prac- 
tised to mount behind their riders, and accom- 
pany them, alighting again when they re- 
turned to the charge, and killing with their 
lances the horses of the enemy. As soon as 
the battle was arranged, an infinite number of 
wind instruments of various kinds were sounded, 
and those were succeeded by songs, according 

B B 2 



372 MONGOL, OR 

to the custom of the Tatars^ before they engage 
in fight. The order for fighting was given, a 
bloody conflict began ; a cloud of arrows poured 
down on every side, and then the hostile parties 
engaged in close combat, with lances, swords, 
and maces shod with iron. Nayan's forces 
were devoted to their master, and rather chose 
to meet death than to turn their back upon the 
enemy. Nayan was made prisoner, and shaken 
between two carpets, until the spirit had de- 
parted from him; the motive for this peculiar 
sentence being, that the sun and the air should 
not witness the shedding of the blood of one, 
who belonged to the imperial family. The 
troops which survived, swore allegiance to Kub- 
lai. After this signal victory, he returned to 
Kambalu. 

** There are twelve inspectors of the army. A 
centurion receives a tablet of silver, a chiliarch 
a tablet of gold, with this inscription : — * By 
the power and might of the great God, and 
through the grace which he vouchsafes to our 
empire, be the name of the khan blessed ! and 
let all such as disobey, suffer death and be 
utterly destroyed.' He who has the command 
of 100,000 men has the same large tablet, only 
heavier, and engraved with a lion. Whenever 
he rides in public, an umbrella is carried over 
his head, denoting the rank and authority he 



YU£N DYNASTY. 373 

holds ; and when be is seated, it is always upon 
a silver chair. They can also make use of the 
imperial stud at their pleasure. 

'^ Kublaiy who is styled the Grand Khan, or 
Lord of Lords, is of the middle stature; his 
limbs are well formed, his complexion fair, and 
occasionally suffused with red. His eyes are 
black, and handsome ; his nose is well shaped, 
and prominent. He has four wives of the first 
rank, who are esteemed legitimate, and the 
eldest^born son of any one of these succeeds to 
the empire upon the decease of his father. 
They bear equally the title of empress ; none of 
them have fewer than three hundred female 
attendants, who, with the ladies of the bed- 
chamber, pages, and eunuchs, constitute the ten 
thousand inmates of the harem, independent of 
the numerous concubines in Ungut. His palace 
is the greatest which the world has ever known. 
The sides of the great halls and the apartments 
are ornamented with dragons in carved work, 
and gilt figures of warriors, of birds, and of 
beasts; with representations of battles. The 
inside of the roof is so contrived, that nothing 
besides gilding and paintings present them- 
selves to the eye. In the rear of the body of 
the palace there are large buildings, containing 
several apartments, where is deposited the pri- 
vate property of the monarch. Here in this 



374 MONGOL OR, 

retired situation, he dispatches business with 
convenience. Near the wall of the palace there 
is an artificial mount; it is clothed with the 
most beautiful evergreen trees; for whenever 
his majesty receives information of a handsome 
tree growing in any place, he causes it to be 
dug up, with all its roots and the earth about 
them ; and however lai^e and heavy it may be, 
he causes it to be transported, by means of 
elephants, to this mount, and adds it to the ver- 
dant collection. There is also a stream at the 
foot of this green mountain, an aqueduct and 
fish-pond. 

'' The city of Kambalu, Yen-king, is situated 
near a large river, in the province Katai ; how- 
ever, the great khan removed the court to Tae- 
doo (Ta-too, great capital, the present Peking) 
This new city is built perfectly square, and 
about twenty-four miles in circumference. The 
whole interior of the city is disposed in squares, 
so as to resemble a chess-board, planned out 
with a degree of beauty and precision impossi- 
ble to describe. Every gate, of which there are 
twelve, is guarded by a thousand men ; for the 
great khan is very suspicious about the Ka- 
taians (Chinese). In the centre of the city, 
there is a great bell suspended in a lofty build- 
ing, which sounds every night ; and after the 
third stroke no person dares to be found in the 



YU£N DYNASTY. 375 

Streets, unless upon urgent business. Within 
each suburb, there are at intervals, as far per- 
haps as a mile from the city, many hotels or 
caravanserais, in which the merchants arriving 
from rariotis parts take up their abode. This 
shows, that during the Mongol dynasty, a trade 
with foreign countries, by means of caravans, 
was carried on to a considerable extent. 

^'The great khan had a minion called Ach- 
mai; a Saracen, who had so entirely taken 
possession of the imperial favour, that he freely 
disposed of government offices, and pronoimced 
judgment upon all offenders. He had also 
obtained great wealth; for every person who 
desired an appointment, found it necessary to 
make him a considerable present. The grand 
khan, having no confidence in the Chinese, 
bestowed all the provincial governments upon 
Tatars, Saracens, Christians, and other foreign- 
ers. In consequence of this, his government 
was universally hated by the natives, who found 
themselves treated as slaves by these Tatars, 
and still worse by the Saracens. Two Chinese 
chiefs, therefore, Chin-koo and Wan-koo, de- 
termined to revenge the injury done to them by 
Achmai, and swore to put all to death who wore 
beards. They accordingly enticed Achmai to 
the palace, and severed his head from the body. 
But the conspiracy was early discovered by the 



376 MONGOL, OR 

Tatar guard, who dispatched Wan-koo, and took 
Chin-koo prisoner. The great khan hastened 
to the capital, and after due investigation, in- 
flicted capital punishment upon the offenders. 
As he was informed that Achmai was the au- 
thor of all this wrong, he disinterred his body» 
and threw it into the street to be torn in pieces 
by the dogs. The sons, who had followed the 
steps of their father in his iniquities, he caused 
to be flayed alive. Reflecting upon the prin- 
ciples of the sect of the Saracens, who would 
even have pronounced the nefarious Achmai 
innocent, he forbade them to continue many 
practices enjoined by their law, and held them 
in contempt and abomination. 

" Upon the anniversary of his birth-day, the 
grand khan appears in a superb dress of cloth of 
gold, and on the same occasion, full twenty 
thousand nobles and officers are clad by him in 
dresses similar to his own, in point of colour and 
form, but the materials are not equally rich. On 
this occasion, all his Tatar subjects, and like- 
wise the people of every country throughout 
his dominions send him valuable presents, ac- 
cording to the established usage. All the Chris- 
tians, idolaters, and Saracens, likewise offer up 
devout prayers to their respective gods, that he 
may bless and preserve the sovereign, and bestow 
upon him long life and prosperity. At the new 



YUEN DYNASTY. 377 

year, before the tables are all spread, all the 
princes, the nobility of various ranks, the cava- 
liers, astrologers, physicians, and falconers, to- 
gether with the officers of the army, made their 
entry into the great hall of the emperor, before 
whom, the rich tribute sent by the provinces on 
this occasion, has passed in review upon camels* 
When all have been disposed in the places 
appointed for them, a person of high dignity, 
as we should express it, a prelate, rises and 
says with a loud voice : ' Bow down, and do 
reverence ;' when instantly all bend their bodies 
until their forehead touches the floor. Again 
the prelate cries : ' God bless our lord, and long 
preserve him in the enjoyment of felicity.' To 
which the people answer : ^ God grant it.' Once 
more the prelate says : ' May God increase the 
grandeur and prosperity of the empire ; may he 
preserve all those who are his subjects in the 
blessings of peace and contentnient, and in all 
their lands may abundance prevail.' The pre* 
late then burns incense in honour of the grand 
khan, on an altar erected on purpose, the gifts 
are presented, a banquet ensues, which is con- 
cluded by theatrical performances." 

This immense court of the grand khan, — ^for 
his body guard alone amounted to 12,000, and 
his hunters to several thousands, — stood in need 
of a great influx of commodities, in order to 



378 MONGOL, OR 

maintain itaelf. On that account the trade <^ 
Kambalu and Tae-doo» was immense. No fewer 
than a thousand carriages and pack-horaes^ 
loaded with raw silk, made their daily entry^ 
and gold tissues and silks were manufactured to 
an immense extent. But the merchants re- 
sided in the suburbs^ which were fully as large 
as the city itself, and had a great many hand- 
some buildings. In this city of Kambalu is 
also the mint of the great khan, who may 
truly be said to possess the art of an alchy- 
mist, as he has the art of producing money from 
black paper, made of the bark of the mulberry- 
tree, upon which the mark of himself and his 
grandees is stamped, in order to make it current ; 
but then, it has an equal value with gold and sil- 
ver coin. Upon these grounds, it may cer- 
tainly be affirmed, that the grand khan has a 
more extensire command of treasure than any 
other sovereign in the world. Twenty-four nobles 
of the first rank, are in charge of the civil and 
war departments of the emi»re. There are posts 
established throughout the empire, that the 
grand khan may know what is going on in 
all his provinces. When dearth or mortality 
of the cattle takes place in any of the provinces, 
the grand khan afforded immediate relief to 
the sufferers ; he provided also for the needy at 
the capital, who were very nnmerous. He main- 



YUEN DYNASTY. 879 

tained, likewise, at his exp^fise, about fire thou* 
sand Christian, Saracen ,andChinese astrologers, 
truly a considerable number. According to the 
account of Marco Polo, the religion of the Ta* 
tars seems to have been Buddhism, but it was 
at that time not yet tinged with that bigotry, 
which has made absolute slaves of their poste- 
rity. Their style of conversation was courteous ; 
they saluted each other politely, with expres- 
sions of satisfaction, had an air of good breed- 
ing, and ate their victuals with particular clean- 
liness. To their parents they showed the ut- 
most reverence, and punished undutiful children 
very severely. Whether this applies with equal 
force to the Tatars, or only to the Chinese, we 
cannot determine. But if to the former, their 
manners must have undei^one an extraordinary 
change within a very few years. The present 
Grand Khan has prohibited every species of 
gambling, and other modes of cheating, to which 
the people of the country were addicted, more 
than any others up<m earth ; and as an argument 
for deterring them from the ^practice, he says : 
^* I subdued you by the power of my sword, and 
consequently, whatever you possess belongs of 
right to me. If you gamble, therefore, you are 
sporting with my property." He does not, how- 
ever, take any thing arbitrarily in virtue of this 
right. The greatest decorum is pieserved in 



380 MONGOL, OR 

the presence of the sovereign. Speaking of the 
great canal, he remarks: This magnificent 
work is deserving of admiration, not so much 
from the manner in which it is conducted through 
the country, and its vast extent, as from its utility 
and the benefit it produces to those cities, which 
lie in its course. On its banks, likewise, are 
constructed strong and wide causeways, upon 
which the travelling by land also is rendered 
perfectly convenient. This stupendous work 
was commenced and accomplished by a bar- 
barian — the immortal Kublai. He must have 
been a very great man, who from a state of bar- 
barism and savage habits, could be so entirely 
transformed, as to be one of the most enlight- 
ened princes of his age. Though Marco Polo 
only views him in a favourable light, it must be 
admitted, that his remarks are very just, and 
fully applicable to the grand monarch, whom 
he so accurately describes. 

When Kublai had vanquished the Sung fa- 
mily, he called one of the most faithfiil ministers 
of the fallen dynasty, and addressed him by 
saying : ''If you will transfer to me that ser- 
vice, which you performed to Sung, I will forth- 
with make you a minister of state." Teeu- 
tsung, this was his name, replied : *' I was the 
minister of Sung, how can I serve masters of 
difierent names. I desire that death may be 



YUEN DYNTASTY. 381 

conferred upon me; that will satisfy all my 
wishes." The emperor, however, hesitated, 
whilst the courtiers advised to comply with his 
arrogant r equest. An order was accordingly 
given to carry him to the market-place, 
and there put him to death. When about to 
suffer, he said with great composure to the ex- 
ecutioner: ''My work is finished." In his gir- 
dle were found sentences of Confucius and 
Mang-tsze, with his own reflections upon them. 
When his corpse was received by his wife, its 
countenance exhibited the same appearance 
that it possessed when animated by the soul of 
her departed husband. The sentences were: 
'*Let the body perish, provided filial piety is 
brought to perfection" — and '* The loss of life is 
a trifle, when it is lost in the support of justice." 
To confer glory upon his ancestry, he created 
them, to the third generation, emperors of Chi* 
na, and had accordingly placed the tablets in 
the halls of the ancestors. But notwithstanding 
his strenuous endeavour to render himself po- 
pular with the Chinese, they always remained 
disaffected towards his government. Though he 
might confer upon them the greatest benefits, 
they could not forget that a barbarian prince 
ruled over the celestial empire. There are some 
writers who bestow great praise upon his pa- 
ternal government, but the majority seize upon 



382 MONGOL, OR 

every error he committed to render his me- 
mory odious. 

Thirst for conquest was his leading passion. 
Though he was in possession of the whole Chi- 
nese empire, he could not suffer the adjacent 
island of Japan to remain free. The Chinese 
fleet departed for its conquest. A similar spec- 
tacle had never been witnessed, even in the glo- 
rious times of Yaou and Shun. Four thousand 
vessels, according to the accounts of the Ja- 
panese, put to sea, to subdue a free country. 
The most excellent Mongol warriors, and the 
king of Korea led forth an innumerable army. 
But they were dispersed near the Piscadores — 
Pong-hoo islands; many of these frail barks 
were wrecked, and the officers returned with 
the remainder, leaving the soldiers to their 
fate, on these barren islands. The Mongols, 
however, were not so easily to be daunted; 
they constructed new barks, in order to effect 
a descent upon Japan. But the Japanese, hear- 
ing of the great preparation, which threatened 
their existence, massacred the whole, with the 
exception of 12,000 soldiers, whom they made 
slaves. Scarcely three persons escaped to Chi- 
na, to announce the dreadful news. Other his- 
tories represent the event differently, but all 
agree that the Mongol army was annihilated by 
the Japanese. 



YUEN DYNASTY. 383 

Notwithstanding the mutinous spirit which 
reigned in China, Kublai relinquished not the 
hope of conquering Japan. He had again 
pressed a great number of soldiers and sailors ; 
and was fitting out a second expedition, when 
pirates began to disturb the maritime provinces. 
This obliged Kublai to employ his forces against 
them; but the remonstrances of the grandees 
were so strong, that he finally yielded to their 
entreaties to abstain fix>m such a dangerous un- 
dertaking. But his mind was full of schemes ; 
he had to employ the unruly Mongols, to prevent 
them from rebelling against him ; dierefore, after 
many reverses, he fought successfiiUy against^ 
and subjected to his sceptre the Birmah coun- 
try. The Cochin-Chinese, and the Siamese 
annals, relate, that his generals penetrated even 
as far as their own country. Though naturally 
a conqueror, he forgot not to encourage the arts 
of civilized life ; without which, no empire can 
have duration. He had other astronomical in- 
struments made; for those of the Sung were 
very imperfect. What must die worii: of their 
predecessors have been? He suppressed the 
Taou sect, and burnt their books as a punish- 
ment for their seducing the people. But he was, 
on the other hand, very partial to the votaries of 
Buddhism and the followers of the Lama. Their 
temples he endowed with rich gifts, and sproad 



384 MONGOL, OR 

their books, which taught the absurdities of 
Shamanism. Id this he showed his great weak- 
ness; and, if he had not been so much occupied 
with his campaign, and the administration of 
government, he would have given himself en- 
tirely over to their stupid fables. But he was, 
at the same time, a most tolerant prince ; who 
never persecuted any of his subjects for having 
a different religion from his own ; and might 
have served as a shining example to many 
Christian princes, and to his holiness, at Rome, 
himself. 

God had given him an excellent wife ; and it 
is remarkable, that almost all great men have 
had a counsellor in their spouses. She frequent- 
ly directed his steps, and interceded for the poor 
wretches who had fallen under the lash of his 
vengeance. He loved her most affectionately, 
and spent many days in consultation with her. 
She died, after having reached an advanced age, 
deeply regretted by the emperor, who could 
never replace her. It is very apparent, that her 
conversation and example very much tended 
to transform a savage into a civilized man ; and 
that the softness of female character can even 
reform a barbarian. What would China, what 
would Tatary, be, if ladies enjoyed a station in 
life whicli constituted them the partners and 
faithful companions of their husbands? But 



YUEN DYNASTV. 385 

for this, we sigh in vain, until Christianity ex- 
ercises its sway over these barbarous countries. 

Kublai's loss was enhanced by the death of 
his son, the heir of the crown. This promising 
youth, who died suddenly, to the great dismay 
of the whole country, would have surpassed, or, 
at least, equalled his father, by the wisdom he 
showed at an early age, if he had not died too 
soon. 

Notwithstanding the bloody wars which Ku* 
blai waged, he found sufficient time to relieve 
the wants of his subjects, who were dear to his 
paternal and political heart. In the year 1290, 
a terrible earthquake occurred in the neighbour- 
hood of Shang-too, in which more than ten my- 
riads of people perished under the ruins of the 
houses. The emperor inquired into the causes 
which had influenced Heaven to inflict this dread- 
ful calamity ; no one dared to answer this ques- 
tion ; for the prime minister, a minion of the em- 
peror, had sent his creatures thither to fatten upon 
the sweat of the poor wretches, and to force from 
them their last subsistence ; so that many com- 
mitted suicide for fear of starving, and others 
became fugitives in the mountains. However, a 
descendant of the Sung dynasty pleaded their 
cause ; and all taxes were remitted by the hu- 
mane emperor, to the great annoyance of the 
prime minister. Heavy rains, which inundated 

VOL. I. c c 



386 MONGOL, OR 

the country, again rendered the territory deso- 
late. San-ko, the prime minister, finally 
removed, after having oppressed the poor, who 
went about without any shelter against the in- 
clemency of the weather, was most severely 
punished, and with him, all his creatures, whe- 
ther innocent or guilty. The emperor immedi- 
ately relieved the wants of his suffering subjects; 
and, big with new projects of subjecting to him- 
self all the islands of the Indian Archipelago, 
which had been, in the meanwhile, espkured by 
Marco Polo, he sent thither his ambassador, de- 
manding entire submission from the rajah of Java. 
This prince, offended at such a proposition, im- 
printed the mark of a thief upon the face of the 
ambassador, and sent him back with the utmost 
disdain, 1292. Indignant at the insolence of a 
petty barbarian chieftain, Kublai sent a large 
army to Java ; but, after having exhausted his 
strength in the conquest of a neighbouring 
kingdom, in which the Javanese were his allies, 
he was surprised by a sudden attack of his felse 
friends, lost a great many of his soldiers, and 
was thus forced to retreat to China, without 
having effected any settlement, or retained any 
conquest. 

Notwithstanding the magnificence with which 
his court was kept, he frequently showed a 
great deal of parsimony. His subjects had 



YUEN DYNASTY. 387 

been grierously oppressed by the collectors of 
duties. To free the nation from this plague, he 
dismissed 069 mandarins, and confiscated the 
great riches they had amassed. In the same 
year, a Mohammedan, offering to sell him cer- 
tain pearls at an enormous price, he returned 
them, saying '' These jewels only serve to cor- 
rupt the heart of man, by nourishing his pride 
and yanity. Is it not better to bestow the money 
they cost, in order to relieve the wants of the 
people ?" Even so far did he go, as to hasten 
to the assistance of his subjects when a celestial 
phenomenon solely had indicated the wrath of 
Heaven. 

Notwithstanding his wise policy, he was not 
able to extinguish entirely the mutinous spirit 
of his countrjnoden, who gaye him incessant 
trouble ; and he had to march repeatedly into 
their country to subdue them by force of arms. 
At this he was highly indignant ; and this cir- 
cumstance tended to accelerate his death, 1294. 

The empire of China was never so extensive 
as during his reign; his authority being ac- 
knowledged from the Frozen Sea, almost to 
the Straits of Malacca. With the exception of 
Hindoostan, Arabia, and the westernmost parts 
of Asia, all the Mongol princes, as far as the 
Dnieper, declared themselves his vassals, and 
brought regularly their tribute. Never was an 

cc2 



388 MONGOL, OR 

empire, and never was there, perhaps, a con- 
queror, greater than Kublai. 

Born a barbarian, he was, at his death, the 
most civilized prince of his time. Alexander, 
Caesar, and Napoleon, are inferior to him. 
Wherever his empire extended, the introduction 
of a benevolent government was the natural 
consequence. He did not wish to reign solely 
over the body of his subjects, but he under- 
stood how to controul spirits — the greatest of all 
arts. We are not blind to his faults ; he was 
an insatiable conqueror, and spilt the blood of 
millions for the sake of gratifying his passion. 
We consider him as an instrument, used by the 
Lord of Hosts, to bring the most distant nations 
in contact, and to curb the fury of his savage 
countrymen. The canals, in China, speak more 
in praise of his greatness, than all the statues 
erected in honour of great heroes: but with 
him the glory of the Mongol dynast}* departed. 
His grandson, Timur-khan, whose ancestorial 
name was Ching-tsung, Kwo-haou, Yuen-ching, 
or Ta-tih, was still in Tatary, when the news of the 
death of the aged monarch arrived. Three months 
elapsed in idle consultations and altercations, 
who, among all the sons of the great Kublai, 
was to be his august successor; for though 
the deceased emperor had appointed him his 
heir, the other princes, anxious to seize upon 



YUEN DYNASTY. 389 

the crown, refused him his hereditary right ; and 
they would have had recourse to arms, if a cele- 
brated Mongol general, Pe-yen, had not con- 
strained the imperial princes, with a sword in 
his hand, to proclaim him emperor. The wise 
Timur-khan, published immediately after his 
accession, a general amnesty. 

The country had been greatly afflicted by 
a drought, the people suffered intensely; and to 
remedy the evil, the young emperor distributed 
grain, and endeavoured to extirpate the rob- 
bers, who had become very numerous. They 
even dared to lay siege to the imperial cities. 
On one occasion they killed the commander of 
Chang-choo, and the chieftain proposed to his 
relict to marry her. She agreed, but first 
asked permission to bum her husband's corpse. 
When the pile was lighted, she jumped into the 
fire, and died in the arms of her lord I Such 
conjugal fidelity is highly extolled by the 
Chinese writers, and the emperor himself, 
struck with a love stronger than death, 
erected a monument in honour of the faithful 
wife, and ordered incense to be burnt before 
their tomb. 

Timur-khan treated the king of Ava, who 
came to render the customary homage at Pe- 
king, very leniently. However, the rebeUious 
Mongol chiefs were severely punished, and 



390 MONGOL, OR 

Timur did not show any partiality for the 
princes of his own blood. 

The rites due to the worship of Heayen had 
not yet been well defined. Timur-khan regu- 
lated the ritual with very great care» and 
sacrificed oxen, sheep, stags, and pigs. It is 
remarkable, that all mankind have been anxious 
to appease the wrath of Heaven by blood. How 
this agrees with the pre-conceived ideas of 
the Mongols, in favour of Shamanism, which 
strictly prohibits the killing of animals, on any 
account, we are unable to determine. But 
Timur-khan was no bigot ; he taxed the Budd- 
hist priests as well as those of Taou, and put 
them on a level with the common people. 

This amiable prince, whose talents were not 
shining, died in 1307, without leaving behind 
him any legitimate offspring. The empress, 
being a very intriguing woman, was anxious to 
govern the empire during the minority of one 
of the illegitimate princes, but she was foiled 
in her endeavours ; for Hae-shan, one of the 
princes, of Mongol blood, marched with an 
army to Shang-too, where he was proclaimed 
emperor. His Mongol name is Hae-chan*khan, 
his ancestorial Woo-tsung. He was very much 
addicted to women and wine, but received the 
admonitions of his ministers with great meek- 
ness. He so much honoured the Lamas, that 



YUEN DYNASTY. 391 

he showed them every kind of respect, and 
even did not punish a proud priest for having 
insulted an imperial princess. No great qua- 
lities rendered him conspicuous, but he che- 
rished tenderness towards his subjects, whom 
he assisted with paternal care, in a time of 
general scarcity, occasioned by inundation • 
Toula, a Mongol prince, was beheaded by him, 
because he had not shown due respect towards 
his sovereign. When he fell sick, which ended 
in his death, 1311, he forgave all persons who 
had offended him; and entrusted his brother, 
Ai-yulip Ali-pata, with the care of goverment. 
His ancestorial name was Jin-tsung, Kwo* 
haow, Hwang-king, or Yen-yeu. 

His predecessors had greatly honoured Con- 
fucius, but this emperor conferred still greater 
honours upon the sage. Several of the works 
of this philosopher were translated into the 
Mongol language, and edicts issued command- 
ing the perusal of them. But this would have 
been very little to the purpose, if he had not 
also conferred titles upon those, who were 
well versed in the Confucian doctrines ; intro- 
duced examinations, established schools and 
colleges, and greatly honoured the literati. The 
administration underwent a thorough change; 
all persons inadequate to the rank they held, 
were dismissed from their offices. Hitherto 



392 MONGOL^ OR 

foreigners had been entrusted with the most im- 
portant appointments ; but Jin-tsung, created 
an equal number of Chinese and Mongol man- 
darins ; which gave very great satisfaction to 
the natives, who had gradually become accus- 
tomed to a foreign yoke. In the exercise of 
justice he did not even spare his favourites, who, 
if they were convicted of crimes, had to suffer the 
severest punishments. His great watchfulness 
over the welfare of the nation, could not en- 
tirely prevent the ravages of robbers, who still 
infested the country. A great deal of the 
oppression, which caused people to betake 
themselves to plunder, was the work of the 
Mohammedan mandarins. Some robbers had 
invaded a village, and found an old woman; 
just when they were about to dispatch her with 
a dagger, her son threw himself over his old 
mother to receive the blow. The robbers were 
so struck with this proof of filial piety, that 
they spared them both, and even gave them 
victuals and water. When the emperor heard 
of this, he had a triumphal arch erected in 
honour of the son, who could even sacrifice his 
life for his parent. Jin-tsung, died in 1320, 
after a happy reign. His son, Chootepala, was 
his successor; his ancestorial name is Ying- 
tsung, Kwo-haou, Che-che. 
Tee-mou-tien, one of the grandees and prime 



YUEN DYNASTY. 393 

minister, who had leagued with the empress 
dowager, created great disturbances in the em- 
pire. This caused the young emperor to treat 
him with very great severity, so that he died 
of a broken heart : but a tenfold death could 
not have expiated the crimes of this monster. 

This young prince, who raised the greatest 
hopes of a happy reign, was assassinated in his 
tent, 1323, by some vagabonds, who had entered 
into a conspiracy. He had no children. The 
heir to the crown was Ye-sun-temur. 

At his accession to the throne, he wished to 
treat the murderers of his predecessor with 
great clemency. But one of his faithful minis- 
ters upbraided the prince, and pointed out the 
dangerous consequences which would arise from 
it. Struck with these observations, and fearing 
that he might be considered an accomplice in 
the murder, he sentenced the criminals to death. 

The imperial palace had for a considerable 
time been filled with an immense number of 
lazy priests, astrologers, eunuchs, &c. ; and this 
iiost of worthless beings drained the imperial trea- 
sure. The ministers in vain besought the so- 
vereign to rid the country of these drones ; he 
was inexorable. At the same time a host of 
Lamas traversed the country, living upon the 
sweat of the poor. Their pride and arrogance 
was boundless. Like grasshoppers, or mendi- 



394 MONGOL, OR 

cant friars, they inundated every district, and 
were sure to carry off the riches of the country. 
A memorial was accordingly addressed to the 
emperor, that he would prohibit their entrance 
into China, for they came from Tibpt. He hesi- 
tated for a long while, but found himself finally 
constrained to accord their petition. He was 
otherwise a lazy prince, but a good g^i^ral. 
He died in 1 328. It was to be expected, that 
great troubles would break out after his death, 
respecting the succession to the throne; but 
this evil was averted by Too-temur, his second 
son, who, although he had been proclaimed em- 
peror, conferred the diadem upon his elder bro- 
ther, as the rightful heir. His name was Ho* 
chila. At first he distrusted the sincerity of his 
brother, but when he saw that he was in earnest, 
he treated him with very great respect. The 
same evening he entered triumphantly the 
capital, gave a great supper to the princes and 
grandees ; but suddenly he fell down and died. 
Some ascribe this to poison, 1329. He was 
succeeded by his generous brother Too-temor. 
To show the great respect he cherished for the 
Lamas, he created the high-priest his tutor and 
counsellor, and forced all the literati of the court 
to render him great honour. This caused a 
great deal of dissatisfaction ; but he was so be- 
sotted by this superstition, that he even made a 



YU£N DYNASTY. 395 

temf^e of his own palace. To record the great 
acts of his fiamily, be required the Hanlins to 
compos a work upon the costumes of the Mon- 
gol dyiiasty, and ordered the historians to in- 
vestigate t^e annals. The whole government 
was given to Yen-temur, a prince of royal ex- 
traction, who tyrannized over the nation, whilst 
the emperor only lived for his pleasures. This 
embittered the minds of the people, several re- 
bellions broke out, but Too-temur did not live 
to see the direful consequences of his misrule. 
He died in 1332. 

Hin-che-pan, the son of Ho^hila, was a boy 
of seven years, when he was promoted to the 
throne, under the regency of the empress dow- 
ager, a very clever woman ; but he died very 
soon, and the government of the empire devolved 
now upon To-hwan*temur, 1333. He was a 
weak, worthless prince, and only thirteen years 
of age when he became emperor. Pe-yen, his 
prime minister, who hated the empress dowager, 
for being an intriguing woman, had her exe- 
cuted publicly. The crimes of Yen-temur ran 
to a height without parallel in history. To 
establish his authority upon a firmer basis, he 
married the widow of an emperor, and took for 
his concubines the imperial princesses. It was 
under his unhappy reign, that one rebellion after 
the other disturbed the peace of the country. 



396 MOVGOL, OR 

Far from giving himself the trouble of repress- 
ing them, the emperor lived an indolent life ; 
his time was spent in frivolons pleasures, the 
nation groaned, and became refractory. During 
the year 1342, the famine which afflictfed the 
empire was so great, that the people ate human 
flesh. Seldom did the imperial generals prove 
victorious ; but this was the case in Che-keang, 
where the capital Hang-choo was retaken, and 
the rebel army almost annihilated. But the 
whole empire was in a state of fermentation ; 
the flame of rebellion spread throughout all the 
provinces, and the throne began to shake. Signs 
in the heavens, earthquakes, droughts, &c. 
foreboded the fail of the Mongol dynasty. The 
coast was ravaged by pirates, who are said to 
have had 10,000 vessels under their command. 
They also infested the rivers, and put an entire 
stop to the trade. The emperor, meanwhile, 
lived with the Lamas and his concubines, and 
was even ignorant of the misery his subjects 
suffered. He had prohibited to the Chinese the 
use of horses and arms ; the rebels only laughed 
at this injunction, and the whole country was a 
scene of anarchy. Tato, an experienced Mon- 
gol general, was dismissed from the service; 
and from this moment the ruin of the Mongol 
dynasty was sealed. The proclamation of a 
new emperor belonging to the Sung family^ 



YUEN DYNASTY. 397 

threw the whole court into* consternation; but 
he was a mere freebooter, and his reign was 
only ephemeral. Instead of choosing expe- 
rienced statesmen to repress the anarchy. Shun- 
te entrusted the administration of the empire to 
two eunuchs. When the Mongol chiefs ob-* 
served, that Shun-te was unworthy of the throne, 
they rallied their forces, and fought independ- 
ently. Polo-temur, one of them, entered vic- 
toriously into the capital, and purged the 
whole court of all the sycophants. He even 
went so far as to expel the Lamas, a race of 
vagabonds; and had the audacity to prohibit 
the exercise of their religion. But he very soon 
changed into a tiger, and rendered himself 
odious to the whole court. The empress, whom 
he had imprisoned, again gained his favour, and 
joining with several desperate characters, she 
had him executed, and sent his head to 
the heir of the crown, against whom Polo-te- 
mur had waged war. But the court was not 
freed from intrigues by the assassination of 
Polo-temur ; new quarrels divided the strength 
of the enfeebled empire. When the emperor 
saw that the Ming dynasty had conquered the 
whole empire, he fled to Ying-chang-foo, where 
he died in 1370. 

The Mongol princes, who sat upon the throne 
of China, deserve credit for having governed 



398 MONGOL, OR YUEN DYNASTY. 

die country so well. Eyen the most bigoted 
Chinese will allow, that they were by no means 
behind the Sung family. They accommodated 
themselves to the prejudices of their subjects, 
improved upon their arts and sciences, and pro* 
moted peace and tranquillity. 



399 



MODERN HISTORY 
A. D. 1368 TO 1833. 



CHAPTER XVI. 

MING DYNASTY. 
FROM 1368 TO 1644, A. D. 

China had not long worn a foreign y<^e. The 
dissatisfiaction of the whole nation at being 
ruled by barbarians, whom they viewed with 
the utmost contempt, was so great, that, at the 
first opportunity which offered, their insolent, 
and now effeminate conquerors, were driven 
from the throne and expelled from China. 

The founder of this dynasty was the son of a 
poor labourer ; his name was Choo-yuen-cfaang. 
Nothing extraordinary in his exterior marked 
the future hero and deliverer of his country. 
He was bom at Sze-cboo, in Keang-nan. Be- 
ing of a very weak constitution, and unfit for 
work, be was sent to the priests at the Hwang- 
ke5-sze temple. When twenty-four years of 
age, he was dissatisfied with their listless and 



400 MING DYNASTY. 

I 

vicious mode of life. His country was then in a 
state of general fermentation, and he enlisted 
in the army. Here he very soon signalized 
himself by acts of valour, and was thus brought 
to the notice of the commanding general, who 
promoted him. Having strengthened his in- 
fluence by marriage with a great lady, the fu- 
ture empress, Choo considered himself power- 
ful enough to become the leader of a party. 
The enmity against the Mongols was then at 
its highest pitch; thousands of malcontents 
flocked to his standard ; and as he maintained 
good discipline amongst his soldiers, he was 
very soon beloved by the inhabitants. His first 
exploits were aimed at the possession of the 
Che-keang province, where within a short time 
he established his authority; but before he 
could extend his victories, he had to meet the 
chief of another party, Chin-yew-leang. A 
most obstinate battle was accordingly fought, 
near the Po-yang lake ; myriads were engaged 
in this combat, which ended in the entire defeat 
of Chin-yew-leang. Choo-yuen-chang not only 
routed his enemy, but extirpated his party ; and 
with a promptness which always marks a great 
warrior, he took possession of the provinces 
Hoo-kwang and Keang-se, where he was hailed 
as their deliverer by innumerable multitudes, who 
had groaned under the iron yoke of the Tatars. 



MING DYNASTV. 401 

The weak Mongol government having neg« 
lected the administration of justice, numerous 
bands of robbers infested the country, and 
to legalize their lawless proceedings, declar- 
ed themselves patriots, who came to revenge 
their countrymen upon the barbarians, their 
oppressors. As soon as Choo's army grew 
powerful, he suppressed these banditti, and 
gave tranquillity to the territories he had con^ 
quered. But amidst the turmoil of victories, 
he did not forget his poor parentage. He went 
purposely to the grave of his father, where he 
prostrated himself, and bathed the ground with 
tears. Then addressing his officers who were 
present, he reminded them that he had been a 
common soldier, — it was by his talent and 
bravery that he rose, — his wise management 
of affairs had put a stop to pillage, — thanks to 
Heaven, which had raised him from the dust, 
and entrusted to him the high office of being 
the deliverer of the people. But he did not 
spend his time entirely in pious ejaculations. 
Though advised by one of his generals to relax 
in his exertions — for it was now as easy to take 
the empire as to unroll a mat, which unfolds of 
itself, — still, having called before him his prin- 
cipal generals, who were all his townsmen, and 
had served with him as common soldiers, he 
dispatched them to the provinces of Fuh-keen, 

VOL. I. D D 



402 MING DYNASTY. 

Kwang-tung, and Kwang-se, and took upon 
himself the conquest of the north. His minions 
advised him to adopt the title of emperor, whiclr 
he indignantly refused, and contented himself 
with the simple title of Prince of Woo. His 
modesty gained him all hearts. He had finally 
taken possession of the maritime districts of Che- 
keang, and had established himself in Keang- 
nan ; his next expedition was directed towards 
Shan-tung, from whence he hoped to inyade 
Ho-nan. Shan-tung was conquered by one of 
his generals, and the whole army was now on 
their march to the northern provinces. The 
soldiers were drawn up, the emperor held a 
final review of the regiments, and, to his great 
astonishment, observed the imperial standard 
waving. He was much enraged at this pre- 
sumption, and sharply rebuked his general for 
having been too rash, in forcing upon his sove- 
reign a dignity whicl) only the azure heavens 
could bestow. The- standard was furled: he 
marched at the head of his innumerable army, 
anxious to encounter the Mongolian forces. By 
this time he had received news of the conquest 
of Kwang-tung and Kwang-se ; all these happy 
events inspired his soldiers with courage, and 
they marched forth as victors. Having driven 
the Mongol emperor, Tohwan-temur, from the 
capital. Yen-king, he solemnly declared 
self emperor. 



j 



MING DYNASTY. 403 

Anxious to maintain the authority of his 
sovereign in the western provinces of the em- 
pire, Kookoo-temur, one of the Mongol princes, 
had stationed his army at Tae-yuen, where he 
was surprised by the Chinese whilst reading in 
his tent, and had scarcely time enough to throw 
himself upon a horse, and ride off at full gallop. 
His whole army was routed : the soldiers threw 
down their arms, or went over to the Chinese 
emperor. A detachment of cavalry followed 
the fugitive Kookoo-temur to Kansuh. 

Hung-woo, for this vms the name of the new 
emperor, entered the palace, abolished luxury, 
superintended every department of the adminis- 
tration, and provided for the helpless beings, who 
had become orphans and widows by this war. 
Such measures rendered him very popular, and 
thus we are not astonished, that Shen-se and 
Shan-se provinces, so well garrisoned by the 
Mongols, were very soon subdued by the Chinese 
arms. But as long as the Mongol emperor 
lived, Hung-woo did not consider himself firmly 
seated upon the throne. He therefore oent an 
expedition beyond the Great Wall, in order to 
surprise the Mongol camp; and the Chinese 
general, successful in his campaign, took the 
whole of the imperial family prisoners. Ngai- 
yew-chilipata, the son of the deceased Mongol 
emperor (for he had lately died) effected his 

dd2 



404 MING DYNASTY. 

escape; but Maitilipala, his grandson, Was 
brought before Hung-woo ; his officers desired 
the emperor to murder the young prince in the 
hall of his ancestors. But the humane Hung- 
woo was horror-struck with this proposal, and 
greatly blamed the man, who had dared to give 
him such advice. He even uttered lamentations 
at the fall of the Mongol dynasty, and ascribed 
this disaster to the depravity of its princes, who 
had degraded their station by vice. Seldom, if 
ever, was so extensive an empire as China sub- 
dued within so short a time. Few princes have 
equalled Hung-woo in the measures he took to 
consolidate the empire, and to lay the founda- 
tion of a long reign. He had continually the 
illustrious names of Yaou and Shun in his 
mouth, and declared, that it was his sole desire 
to imitate their virtues . Not forgetting that he was 
originally a man of low estate, he referred to the 
founder of the celebrated Han dynasty, who had 
likewise been a plebeian. It was not till after 
the entire conquest of China, that Leaou-tung 
was subdued, with much effusion of blood. This 
territory had been a stronghold of the Tatars, 
who defended it to the last. The imperial gene- 
rals showed no mercy to the commanders of the 
Mongol forces, whom they viewed as rebels. 
Many Mongols committed suicide, when they 
were at the point of despair ; others were deca« 



MING DYNASTY. 405 

pitated by the Chinese, and this once brave 
race, who conquered the greater part of the 
old world, were crouching before the effeminate 
Chinese, earnestly suing for life. So much had. 
circumstances changed — ^it was the hand of Grod, 
who had raised and now humbled this fierce 
race. Though the Mongols had entirely aban* 
doned the hope of ever regaining possession of 
China, they could not patiently brook their de- 
feat, and in order to revenge themselves in some 
small degree, made repeated incursions into the 
empire. These were generally attended with 
heavy losses, but they rather chose to sacrifice 
their lives, than not to enjoy the satisfaction of 
having retaliated upon the peaceful peasant, the 
injuries inflicted upon them by the soldiery. 

When the empire was tranquillized, and Yun- 
nan also subdued, the king of Korea (Chaou- 
seen, or Kaou-le), sent his ambassador to con- 
gratulate his imperial majesty upon the success 
which had attended his arms, 1383. This king- 
dom had, during the reign of the Chow and 
Han dynasties, constituted a part of the Yen 
state, and Han-woo-tee had made it a place of 
exile for criminals. A warlike tribe, the Kaou- 
le had, during the Tsin dynasty, made them- 
selves masters of the country, and were after- 
wards kept in a nominal dependence by China. 
It was also under this reign, that an amicable in- 



406 MINO DYNASTY. 

^eicourae between the Loo-choo islands and 
China was established. The king of these is- 
lands had sent his brothers and sons to the 
Chinese court, in order to be educated ; * a eos- 
tom which is still continued, the grandees of 
these islands constantly repairing to Peking, in 
order to acquire the Chinese language and 
manners. 

Hung-woo owed much of his success to the 
wise counsels of his wife, the ^npress Ma-she, 
a very prudent and amiable woman, who guided 
his steps, and was one of the greatest ornaments 
of her sex. But she died long before her hus- 
band, who had afterwards to experience the loss 
of the heir to the crown, his eldest son. Yet he 
bore those afflictions with patience, and was 
solely occupied with the good administration of 
the empire. He discarded the priests of the 
Taou sect, who came to present him with a 
treatise upon magic ; and despised their elixir of 
immortality, which had deceived so many em- 
perors. Under his vigoroup government, the 
frequent attacks of the Tatars were successfully 
repulsed. Several Mongol tribes subjected 
themselves willingly to the Chinese government, 
and became thus a rampart against the frequent 
invasions from the west. Hung-woo con^ 
eluded his glorious reign in 1398, after having 
nominated his grandson his successor, who as- 



MING DYNASTY. 407 

cended the throne under the name of Kjeen* 
win-te. 

The founder of the Ming dynasty was doubt- 
less a very great man, his forbearance being as 
remarkable as his valour, and he was as great a 
statesman as a warrior. Whilst he stifled every 
germ of rebellion, and always kept a large army 
in the field, he was most anxious to spare the 
lives of his subjects, and of the Tatars. The 
many instances of brutal cruelty, which happened 
at the surrender of cities, and at the punishment 
of rebels, must rather be ascribed to his gene- 
rals, than to his orders. Nothing proves so well 
his amiable character, as the princely splendour 
with which he maintained at court the grand- 
son of the Mongol emperor, whom he had driven 
from the throne. When he proposed to this 
prince to leave China for Mongolia, the youth 
chose rather to remain with his generous enemy, 
than to return to his native country. There is 
only one measure, which reflects no credit upon 
his policy: his great fondness for his chil- 
dren prevailed over his prudence as an emperor ; 
he bestowed principalities upon his sons, and 
thus sowed the germs of discord in the empire. 
The name he received in the temple of ances- 
tors, was Tae-tsoo, — grand sire. 

When the prudent Hung- woo felt his end 
approaching, he sent all the princes from the 



408 MING DYNASTY- 

courts to their principalities, until his grandson 
was fairly established upon the throne. He sup- 
posed himself to have done enough for China» by 
making a new code of laws, and enjoining the 
hereditary princes, that they ought not to extend 
their sway beyond the limits of their patrimony. 
He flattered himself, that, by abridging the 
time of mourning for parents, from 27 months 
to 27 days, the real grief for the loss of the 
parents would be more sincerely exhibited. Hav- 
ing been himself a priest, he was thoroughly 
acquainted with their institutions, and therefore 
knew the consequences of granting too much 
liberty to an unmarried priesthood. He there- 
fore issued orders, that neither men nor women 
should enter the monastery, before the age of 
forty years. Being well versed in ancient his- 
tory, he knew what power the eunuchs had 
arrogated to themselves, and therefore made a 
law, that no eunuch should ever be permitted 
to hold any office in the state, how small soever. 
To render filial piety illustrious, and to set up 
a glorious example to conjugal fidelity, he 
erected a monument to. a son, who ofiered him- 
self to a band of robbers, to be killed instead of 
his father, — and to the wife of the same dutiful 
son, who, on the point of being violated by 
these robbers, jumped into the fire where they 
were roasting her husband, and died in his 



MING BTNASTY. 409 

ttrms. A father had offered his son to an idol, 
on account of a vow he had made, for the re- 
covery of his mother. On hearing this account 
the emperor was shocked, and disapproved of 
a filial piety, which made such horrible sacri- 
fices necessary. Had he reigned longer, China 
would not again have been inundated with 
blood. 

As soon as the young emperor had taken the 
reins of government in his hand, he remitted 
the taxes which fell very heavy upon the peo- 
ple, and were necessary for the maintenance of 
a large standing army. 

His being declared emperor gave general dis- 
satisfaction to his uncles, who believed them- 
selves to have a better claim to the empire, than 
a youth of 16 years. To prevent a formidable 
coalition amongst them, against himself, the 
young prince degraded the princes of Min, 
Seang, Tse, and Tae, to the rank of plebeians, 
and took from them their territory, under very 
slight pretences. Choo-pe, prince of Seang, 
could not bear the loss of his dignity ; he set 
fire to his palace, and threw himself into the 
flames, not to outlive his departed glory. 

The prince of Yen, aware of the danger which 
threatened him, made preparations to repel 
force by force. Two mandarins who had been 
sent to his court, by the emperor, to watch over 



410 MING DYNASTY. 

his actions, had to suffer death as spies. Not 
ivaiting for the attack of the imperial forces, 
who would very soon have come to punish his 
audacity, he gathered an army, defeated the 
imperial general, took several cities by assault, 
and even threatened the capital. But the way 
thither had to be opened by many bloody ^i- 
gagements, in which the prince of Yen fought 
with great valour. He addressed his grievances 
to the emperor, stating, that he only insist- 
ed upon the punishment of those ministers who 
had been the cause of the degradation of hi^ 
brothers, who, he demanded imperatively, 
should be instantly reinstated in their pnnci- 
palities, and thus the old order of things re- 
established. But, under the cloak of these just 
demands, he concealed ambitious designs. The 
emperor rejected these propositions, and sent re- 
peatedly his generals against the victorious 
uncle. But they were beaten, or went over to 
the enemy. An army sent to Shan-tung, for 
the defence of this province was beaten, and 
the imperial general taken prisoner. Startled 
at these bad news, the emperor advised with 
his ministers upon the measures to be adopted. 
An army of 1 00,000 men was collected in Leaou- 
tung, for the defence of the capital. Yang-yuen 
was entrusted with the command ; he approach- 
ed the army of Yen, and the last hope of the 



MING DYNASTY. 411 

t!ourt was annihilated by a decisive battle, 1403. 
The emperor, in thia dilemma, proposed to di- 
vide, with his uncle, tlie empire. '^ I am come 
here," this was the reply of the prince of Yen, 
Mto restore the sons of the emporors into theit 
patrimony, and then to retire to my principa- 
lity.'' But» at the same time, his troops passed 
the Hwae-ho, took possession of Yang-choo, 
and approached within thirty leagues of Nan- 
king. 

The consternation of the court was general. 
The great question was what was to he done in 
this emergency. The majority of the council 
advised to punish Le-king-lung, the cause of 
all this misery, with the most ignominious 
death. All the inhabitants were ordered to pre- 
pare themselves for a vigorous defence of the 
capital, even the imperial family did not scruple 
to take up arms, but this measure only occa- 
sioned the utmost confusion. Before the empe- 
ror had even completed his defence, the victori- 
ous army was already at the gates. A deputa- 
tion was therefore sent out to the conqueror in 
order to sue for mercy. They went out of the 
city gates and met the prince of Yen. There 
they lay prostrate before him, bowing to the 
earth, and muttering some words about the par- 
tition of the empire. The victor sternly answer- 
ed : '^ Deliver the enemies of my family to me, 
and I shall return to my capital." The time was 



412 MING DYNASTY. 

lost by useless consultations, whilst a traitor 
opened the gates of the capital. The victorious 
army entered, and the perfidious ministers betook 
themselves to an ignominious flight, leaving the 
helpless emperor to consult with a Han-lin doc- 
tor, about the propriety of taking the habit of a 
priest, and entering a monastery. However^ 
the empress fearing that every thing was lost, 
threw herself into the flames, and perished with 
heroic courage, whilst the emperor skulked 
about in his disguise, having shaved his head 
and retired, with a few faithful adherents, to a 
monastery. As soon as the prince of Yen had 
entered the capital, and received the congratu- 
lations of the mandarins, he vowed vengeance 
against the traitors who had degraded his fa** 
mily. "Whosoever,'' this was his proclamation, 
"betrays the chiefs of the conspiracy, shall be 
recompensed with the second rank of a manda-- 
rin." This remuneration, joined to the thirst 
after gain, called forth a great many false ac- 
cusers, eager after the property of their ene- 
mies, and prompted by a desire of avenging 
private injury. The whole city was filled with 
the blood of the innocent, and several manda- 
rins, to put an end to these unjust prosecutions, 
accused themselves of having been abettors of 
the degradation of the imperial uncles. Taou^ 
heen, a priest in favour with the prince of Yen, 
interceded in behalf of Tang-heaou-joo, a learn- 



MING DYNASTY. 413 

ed doctor, who had not been accessary to the 
crimes of the ministers. The prince of Yen 
summoned him to his presence, and proposed to 
make him his private comicillor ; but the doctor 
declined the honour, and insisted that the son 
of Keen-wan-te ought to be the successor to the 
throne, for it was generally believed, that the 
emperor had perished in the conflagration of the 
palace. Irritated at such a proposal, the prince 
of Yen threatened to execute his whole family 
to the ninth degree of consanguinity. The scholar 
answered, with great indifference, '^ This cruel 
act will bring upon your name eternal infamy.'* 
Such an answer offended the victor, and he order-- 
ed the mouth of the obstinate doctor to be torn 
asunder to the ears, and threw him into prison. 
A number of literati went to the dungeon, to visit 
their beloved master ; the prince, offended at 
the interest they took in the dire fate of the cul- 
prit, executed him in the prison, and threw his 
corpse on the highway. About 1000 persons 
suffered death with him ; but this severe pun- 
ishment could not prevent the literati from bury- 
ing the doctor in the most splendid style. 
Other faithful servants were cut to pieces, 
and all the women in the palace had to suffer 
a cruel death. But when the bones of the burn- 
ed empress were shown to the prince of Yen, 
who mistook them for the remains of Keen- wan- 



414 MING DYNASTY. 

te, he wept^ pretendiiKg to be afibcted by the 
tragic end of his relation. After so many cruel ^ 
ties, he published an entire amnesty, and 
had the name of Keen*wan-te erased from the 
historical annals, by dating from the death of 
Hung-woo, the reign of Yung-lo, which was 
the name that he adopted, as soon as he had 
declared himself emperor. 

Yung-lo, though an usurper, was a man of 
talent. He removed the capital from Nanking 
to Pih^chih-le. Anxious to signalise himself 
against the Tatars^ the inveterate enemies of 
China, he marched with a large atmy into the 
drei^ry wilderness of the extensive northern 
plain, and spread destruction on all sides. Some 
dispute, which had arisen in Cochin-China, 
called forth his interference. But he managed 
matters so well, that Cochin-China and Tunldn 
were reduced to Chinese provinces, notwith- 
standing the great aversion of the natives. His 
ambition was, however, not yet satisfied: he 
ventured upon another more fatiguing march 
into Tatary, where he made new conquests of 
waste regions, and erected a monument of his 
victories. After this, he returned home, and 
died, 1425. He was a prince of great capa- 
cities; and, whilst engaged in war, he pa- 
tronized polite literature to a very great extent. 
Accordingly, he had a number of doctors ap* 



MING DYNASTY. 415 

pointed, who revised and commented upon the 
classics ; a work which had been done by thou- 
sands before them. But Chinese genius was 
at a loss to invent, or rather apprehensive, 
lest they might wander from the path of the ne 
|dus ultra doctrines of Confucius ; they therefore 
chose rather to improve upon old established 
principles, than to rush into error by a new mode 
of thinking. The law against Buddhist priests 
was again renewed; but nothing was able to 
arrest the course of this idolatry. Keen-wan-te 
was still alive, a knight-errant amongst the 
Bonzes. Yung-lo was aware of this ; but ob*- 
serving that he had no desire of seating himself 
again upon the throne, spared his life. Yung-lo 
died, after a reign of twenty-two years, and was 
saoceeded by his son. He received the ances- 
tonal name, Ctaing-tsoo. 

Jin-tsung's reign bespoke a happy issue. He 
promoted able mandarins to rank, provided for 
the necessities of the people, appointed manda- 
rins to assist them in time of scarcity, and re- 
voked those degradations which had blasted the 
memory of all those who were in the least con- 
cerned in the conspiracy of Keen-wan-te against 
his uncles. To lighten the burthen of governing 
so large an empire, he created an heir of the 
crown, who was entrusted with the government 
of the southern parts of China. However, he 



416 MING DYNASTY. 

did not live long enough. Seuen*tsung was his 
successor. The uncle of this prince, forgetful 
of the ties of blood, stood up in open revolt 
against his lawful emperor. This temerity found 
its recompense: the rebellion was very soon 
quelled, and the prince lost his possessions. 
Cochin-China was never at rest ; and proved a 
great burden to China. A prince of Chin, who 
had been nominated king of Cochin-China by 
the emperor, claimed the right. But it was not 
so very easy to expel a rebel, who had taken 
possession of the country, and kept possession 
of the territory against all the edicts of the 
emperor. Seuen-tsung died in 1436. At his 
decease, the empress, a very clever woman^ 
convoked the states; and, seated upon the 
throne, with Ying-tsung, her son, on her left^ 
then a boy of eight years, had him proclaimed 
emperor. Anxious to shine as a regent of so 
great an empire, she examined herself all the 
branches of administration, and took the utmost 
care that the people should enjoy prosperity. 
There was an eunuch, who had educated the 
emperor from his youth: the child was much 
attached to him ; and, confiding in the imperial 
favour, this vile man committed the greatest in- 
justice. In a solemn assembly of all the minis-* 
ters, the empress herself charged him with the 
most enormous crimes, and pronounced sentence 



MING DYNASTY. 417 

of death. The young emperor threw himself at 
the feet of his mother, and implored his pardon ; 
he was joined by the ministers, who were anxious 
to ingratiate themselves with the emperor ; and, 
restored to favour, this same minion ingratiated 
himself so much with the empress, that he be- 
came her favourite also. It was by his intrigues, 
that the three ministers of state, also called the 
three pillars, were dismissed from their office. 
As soon as the empress had died, 1443, it was 
pointed out to the young emperor that the foun- 
der of his illustrious house had engraven, upon 
brass, a law» which absolutely prohibited the 
eunuchs fulfilling any office of state. The young 
prince bore too great an affection to his early 
instructor; the eunuch continued in favour; 
and one of his first acts was to revenge himself 
upon the men who had dared to accuse him, 
who all were sentenced to undei^o an ignomini- 
ous death. One of the criminals had taken 
refuge in Ava. The emperor sent his forces to 
attack Meen-teen, (which is the name the Chi- 
nese bestow upon the Birman empire). The 
king, apprehensive of dangerous consequences, 
betrayed his guest ; who, when in the hands of 
the Chinese, was sure that no mercy would be 
shown him, and killed himself. By this time, 
the Tatars of the north had advanced with a 
formidable army to attack China. All the 

VOL. I. E E 



418 MING DYNASTY. 

troops Avhich could be spared, and the army 
which had been dispatched against the Bir- 
mans, were sent to the steppes. Ye-seen, the 
son of the celebrated Tatar chief, To-hwan, had 
requested an imperial princess in marriage. 
The favourite eunuch agreed to this match ; but 
as he took umbrage about the number of horses 
and men, sent on this occasion, he disregarded 
his solemn promise, and dismissed the envoys 
and their tribute with the greatest disdain. In- 
dignant at this insult, Ye-seen swore to revenge 
himself. He approached the frontiers with a 
well-chosen army, and routed several small 
armies of the Chinese. Wang-chin, the eunuch, 
ordered immediately a levy of 600,000 soldiers 
to be made : with these he marched, in company 
with the young emperor, against the enemy. 
But he had badly provided them with provi- 
sions, and the army soon suffered from want. 
Several of the old experienced soldiers advised 
the eunuch to retreat, and not expose so many 
men to inevitable destruction ; but the eunuch 
spumed the idea of retreating from a field 
where he intended to pluck immortal laurels. 
At first, Ye-seen hesitated to attack so numer- 
ous an army ; but having ascertained that the 
soldiers were almost starved, he made a furious 
assault, and, issuing orders to give no quarters, 
the Tatars slew 100,000 Chinese. The emperor 



MING DYNASTY. 4l9 

himself fell into their hands, and with great 
composure awaited death. His greatness of 
soul amidst dangers struck the Tatars with ad- 
miration : he was brought before Ye-seen» whom 
several Tatar lords advised to kill the emperor 
instantly ; because the Ming family had endea- 
voured to extirpate the Yuen, and it was only 
fair to retaliate. But Ye-seen abhorred the idea 
of taking revenge upon an innocent prince, 
whose intrepidity he greatly admired. As soon 
as the captivity of the emperor was reported in 
the capital, the empress offered her jewels to 
redeem her husband. However, this ransom 
was rejected, as not being equal to the redemp- 
tion of so illustrious a captive. The victor 
marched with him towards the frontier city, 
Tae-tung. The governor was on the ramparts ; 
and the emperor called to him, saying: '* Ko- 
ting, you are my ally ; why must I stand here 
outside?" " It is by order of your majesty,'' he 
replied, ^' that I am charged to preserve this 
place for you.'' Though Ko-ting refused to 
surrender, he sent out warm clothing, and 
money to redeem the emperor, which, however, 
was not received. 

To supply the place of the captive empe- 
ror, Ching-wang, under the name of King-te, 
ascended the throne, 1 450. The imbecile eunuch 
was amongst the slain, and his whole party at 

E e2 



420 MING DYNASTY. 

court had been exiled. Ye*seen, with whom 
the captive emperor now stayed, was wearied 
with waiting for the ransom, and resolved to 
force the Chinese into terms. Having been 
disappointed in his attacks upon several fron- 
tier fortresses, he marched with a large army 
towards Peking ; but before he had made any 
great progress he was met by ambassadors, to 
treat with him about the terms of the emperor's 
release. As they, however, could not agree, a 
large Chinese army advanced from Leaou-tung 
and made a furious attack upon the Tatars. 
Ye*seen's army suffered a total defeat, and had 
to retreat with ail haste, in order to escape the 
avenging sword of the Chinese, who followed 
at his heels. Ye-seen was now very will- 
ing to give up the precious charge ; the com- 
missioners arrived in the camp, and the prelimi- 
naries whereby the emperor was liberated, were 
signed. His restoration to the nation whom he 
loved gave general joy ; the whole capital was 
full of rejoicings, and many myriads came to 
salute their beloved sovereign. Having been 
taught by misfortune to be humble, he resigned 
the throne, and left the imperial dignity of the 
empire to King-te, being content to live a life 
of obscurity. Before he had been taken priso- 
ner, the palace was burnt by lightning; and 
repeated earthquakes had laid Ho-nan and 



MING DTNASTr. 421 

Shan-tung waste. A lively remembrance of 
this great calamity remained in his mind, so 
that he reascended the throne with great reluc- 
tance, in 1457. The grandees were indignant 
that King-te, a mere usurper, should maintain 
himself so long in a station which properly 
belonged to his brother ; but this change was 
effected without bloodshed. The latter years 
of his reign were peaceful ; he was a good, but 
not a talented prince. On his death, 1465, 
Choo-keen-shin, his son, succeeded, under the 
name of Heen-tsung, a weak prince, and a fer- 
vent votary of Buddhism. In order to nip re- 
bellion in the bud, he established a tribunal of 
eunuchs in the capital, who received orders to 
punish all unruly persons, even if no proofs 
could be adduced. This inquisitorial ofl^e be- 
came very soon a dread and terror to the whole 
capital, and to all the mandarins, who remon- 
strated in vain against the injustice of its pro- 
ceedings ; it was for some time suspended in 
its functions, but never entirely abolished. The 
reign of Heen-tsung was peaceful; he was 
much attached to the Bonzes, but never perse- 
cuted the literati. After his death, which took 
place in 1487, the emperor Heaou-tsung suc- 
ceeded. His reign bore the name of Hung-che 
His ancestors had published a geography of 
the empire ; he compiled a new code of laws. 



422 MING DYNASTV. 

Though an empire so large as China furnished 
sufficient work to its ruler, the new emperor 
was more amused with the dreams of the Taoa 
sect than with the afiairs of government. To 
obtain the draught of immortality, was the 
grand object of all his researches ; but he en- 
deavoured in vain ton save himself from the 
common fate of all moilals. His ministers ex* 
postulated very severely with their master, but 
to no effect. There was sonieihing consoling 
in the idea of becoming, after death, one of the 
happy genii, which the Taou priests promised ; 
and as the doctrines of the €k)nfucians were 
confined to this life, the emperor was veiy ob- 
stinate in refusing to renounce an error which 
cheered the last hours of mortal existence. Af- 
ter all his efforts to prolong his life, he died in 
the prime of manhood, in 1505, after a peace- 
ful reign of eighteen years. Woo-tsung, his 
son, a youth of fifteen years, was his successor. 

The inhabitants of Hami were, during the 
reign of Heen-tsung, very troublesome; but 
they confined their rebellion to their own coun- 
try, and did not insult the majesty of the ce- 
lestial empire. 

During his reign a census was taken. China 
contained at that time more than fifty-three 
millions of inhabitants. 

Woo-tsung, or Ching-tih, gave himself up to 



MING DYNASTY. 423 

pleasure, and spent the greater part of his time 
in the company of the eunuchs. The country 
was afflicted with dearth, the nation in a most 
wretched state, and the unhappy Ching-tih was 
slumbering in the arms of pleasure. His minis- 
ters finally prevailed upon him to punish the 
arbitrary tribunal of eunuchs, but it was with 
great difficulty that they could be convicted of 
their crimes. Under such circumstances, it was 
not extraordinary that the whole empire should 
fall into a state of anarchy. Party spirit, as 
well as the wildest insubordination, accelerated 
the ruin of the country. Notwithstanding his 
imbecility, the grandees of the empire were 
faithful to their master. When the prince of 
Ning was about to usurp the imperial throne, a 
viceroy boldly told him that there could not be 
two suns in heaven, and that he himself could 
not serve two masters. This bold speech 
greaty startled the rebel, but he found a great 
number of grandees to join his standard. As 
soon as the imperial troops entered the field, 
the rebels trembled for the consequences. At 
Gran-king, the rebel head-quarters, the diffi- 
culty how to act was very great. They finally 
resolved to meet the imperial fleet of boats. 
The first onset was very fierce ; the battle was 
obstinately contested; but finally the rebels 
gave way, and the surface of the Yang-tsze- 



424 MING DYNASTY. 

keang was strewed with their bodies. A gene 
ral panic had seized them ; 30,000 soldiers were 
drowned, others slain, and the cowardly, rebel 
leader surrendered; whilst all the females of 
his harem jumped into the water, to preserve 
their conjugal fidelity towards their lord. 

The emperor died without issue, and a 
grandson of Heen-tsung, a child, ascended the 
throne after him, under the name of She-tsung, 
1521. 

A tender mother had announced to him his 
accession to the throne. The prince was be- 
loved by his subjects, and the hopes entertained 
of his glorious reign, were very lively. It was 
under his reign that the Mantchoo Tatars grew 
powerful, and made repeated inroads into China, 
which however were speedily repulsed* But he 
very soon disappointed the 'great hopes enter- 
tained of him. From lus early youth he had 
cherished a predeliction for the doctrines of 
Buddha. Anxious to procure the liquor of im* 
mortality, he ransacked the empire in search of 
it. As all mortals undergo death, it is rather 
astonishing, that an emperor should be so cre- 
dulous, as to suppose it possible to free himself 
from this common fate by taking medicine. To 
this he joined a strong fondness for poetry, 
which made him forget the most important af- 
fairs of state. In vain his ministers remon- 



MING DYNASTY. 425 

strated, the emperor was obstinate. Under his 
reign, Annan (Cochin-China) revolted, and main- 
tained its independence against an overwhelm* 
ing Chinese force. A Tatar chief, Yenta, con- 
quered Shen-se, and laid it waste, 1542, and 
even threatened the capital. This awakened 
the emperor from his slumber; he began to 
tremble, but took no vigorous resources to repel 
these inveterate enemies. The Japanese per- 
ceiving that China was in a state of anarchy, 
effected repeated descents on the maritime pro- 
vinces, acting as wild robbers, and carrying off 
a great many people. The same had taken 
place under Hung-woo. They had plundered 
the island of Tsung-ming, but upon application 
to the king of Japan, the prisoners were re- 
stored, and the ravages ceased. The king even 
went so far as to send tribute to the great 
ancestor of the Ming dynasty. He, on his 
side, sent the seal of office to the humble king 
who had declared himself a vassal of the 
celestial empire. But this subjection was only 
temporary, the Japanese broke forth under 
Yung-lo, and pillaged Korea. Yung-lo sent 
them an ambassador, ordering them to send 
every tenth year a tribute-bearer and ten hos- 
tages. The grandees treated such an offer with 
the utmost contempt, and would have killed the 
haughty ambassador. But the advantages of 



426 MING DYNASTY. 

the trade to China having been discovered, 
several grandees were desirous of participating 
in it, and went as ambassadors to Ning*po. 
Here they were treated with great contempt, 
which so irritated them, that they betook them- 
selves to arms, in order to redress their wrongs. 
However, they were driven on board by the 
Chinese military, and several taken prisoners. 
China was closed against foreign intercoarse. 
This prohibition gave rise to smuggling. But 
having been cheated in their commercial deal- 
ings, they began to make great ravages on the 
coast, and took possession of Chusan, and other 
islands. The whole coast from Namao up to 
Shan-tung, was visited by them with fire and 
sword, and every Chinese trembled at the name 
of this implacable enemy. During the whole 
time, the weak Kea-tsing was in search of the 
liquor of immortality, and neglected the admi- 
nistration of the empire. A minister, therefore, 
addressed a very pointed memorial to his so- 
vereign, wherein he painted in strong language 
his misrule. The emperor read it, and indig- 
nant at such language, he threw the author 
into prison, but again reading the remonstrances, 
he repented of his conduct, liberated the minis- 
ter, and began to make some amendments in his 
conduct. But he died very soon afterwards, in 



MING DYNASTY. 427 

1566, and left a record, wherein he accuses him- 
self of neglect and misrule, and by this decla- 
ration, expiates his former misdeeds. 

His third son ascended the throne after him ; 
his ancestorial title was Muh-tsung. His first 
care was to reform the abuses of goyemment, 
and to satisfy the unruly Yenta, whom he cre- 
ated prince of the empire, and permitted to 
trade to the Chinese territory in horses, and 
to bring every third year tribute. After hav- 
ing addressed all his grandees in a most af- 
fectionate manner, he died in 1572. His son, 
when still a child, was his successor. His ances- 
torial name was Shin-tsung. The unruly Tatar 
chief, Yenta, received a portion of ground in 
Shen-se, and from that time behaved very quietly. 
Wan-leih had a great esteem for his tutor, whose 
counsel he followed implicitly. He was his 
prime minister and friend, with whom he con- 
sulted upon every subject of importance. 

The year 1592, was remarkable for the inva- 
sion of Korea by the Japanese. They effected 
a landing with a large army, the Koreans imme- 
diately fled with full speed. The king^ who 
was a very worthless prince, escaped to Leaou- 
tung, and offered his whole country to the em- 
peror of China. The Japanese entered tri- 
umphantly the capital of Korea, plundered the 



428 tflNO DYNASTY. 

palace and tombs, and took the royal family 
prisoners. They had subjected to their sway 
almost the whole peninsula ; and Taikosama, 
emperor of Japan, was upon the point of de- 
claring himself king of Korea^ when a large 
Qhinese army opposed his progress. The cities^ 
where they had fortified themseWes, were taken 
by storm, and their large magazines destroyed. 
To cut ofi* all communication with their native 
country, a Chinese fleet hovered on the fron- 
tiers of the coast of Japan and Korea. This 
measure greatly intimidated the Japanese, and 
rendered them very anxious to conclude a peace. 
They therefore sent an embassy, which was 
magnificently treated at Peking. But these 
stupid barbarians would not acknowledge them- 
selves vassals of the celestial empire, and re- 
fused to pay tribute. The Chinese diplomatists, 
perceiving that all their endeavours to persuade 
them were in vain, insisted upon the evacuation 
of Korea and the conclusion of a lasting peace. 
The emperor, therefore, dispatched an envoy to 
the court of Japan ; he was a worthless person ; 
and after having been detained for about one 
year, he had to flee from the country. But an* 
other ambassador, with the insignia of royalty, 
sent by the Chinese emperor, shortly afterwards 
arrived. The emperor of Japan consumed the 
time with useless negociation, until he had col- 



MIVO DYNASTY. 429 

lected a numerous army, with which he made a 
descent upon Korea, 1597. They defeated the 
troops sent i^ainst them, whilst their army 
spread over the whole kingdom. The Japanese 
fleet ranged along the Chinese coast, and spread 
everywhere destruction, after having repeatedly 
defeated the Chinese fleet. But suddenly they 
evacuated Korea, and the Chinese general^ who 
had been repeatedly routed, ascribed this extra- 
ordincury event to his own valour. Two persons, 
belonging to the royal family, who had been 
taken prisoners, were beheaded at Peking, be* 
cause Taikosama, emperor of Japan, was de- 
clared a traitor, for not having acknowledged 
the supremacy of China, and therefore his fa- 
mily had to expiate his guilt. 

In 100 1 , the celebrated Ricci arrived at court. 
The emperor consulted the tribunal of rites, 
what he had to do in regard to the presents, 
which were ofiered him by this European. " Eu- 
rope," they answered, ** is not connected with us, 
and does not acknowledge our laws. The images 
and tablets of the Lord of Heaven, and of a 
virgin, have no value. He presents a bag of 
bones, and tells us, that these are the bones of 
genii. We therefore judge that we ought not 
to receive the presents, or permit Ricci to stay 
at court/* He reibained notwithstanding, and 
promulgated popery. 



430 MING DYNASTY; 

The Mantchoo Tatars grew every year more 
powerful. They brought in a great many com- 
plaints about the injustice done to them in 
their trade, and as they received no redress, be- 
took themselves to arms, and cut the Chinese 
army to pieces, 1618. They took several for- 
tresses, and spread consternation amongst the 
Chinese. A numerous army was sent against 
them ; they attacked the Chinese general, and 
defeated his forces, 1619. It was at this critical 
juncture, that the emperor of China invoked the 
help of the Portuguese, who sent a small num- 
ber of soldiers to repel the Tatars. But instead 
of making use of their tactics, and employing 
them against his inveterate enemies, he sent 
them back to Macao. After having taken pos- 
session of the greater part of Leaou-tung, the 
Tatars intended to fall upon Korea; the king 
trembled, and gave notice to the emperor, who 
was in a most helpless condition himself, and 
died of a broken heart, in 1620. 

His eldest son was his successor ; ancestorial 
name, Kwang-tsung. Scarcely had he asc^ided 
the throne, when he fell suddenly sick, and it was 
genemlly believed, that his disease arose from 
his great application to business. His physi- 
cian advised him to take a draught of the liquor 
of immortality ; he did so, and died shortly after- 
wards. 



MING DYNASTY. 431 

He-tsung, — Teen-ke, — succeeded, in 1621 . 
Great troubles agitated the empire, and were a 
sure sign of the decline of the Ming dynasty. 
The Tatars, content with the conquests they 
had made, for a while kept quiet, and simply 
stated their complaints to the Chinese govern- 
ment. '' If your and our empires have been so 
long at war, the pride of the mandarins is the 
true cause. They consider their sovereign as 
even more exalted than the heavens, and think 
themselves far superior to all other people; 
whilst they despise the foreign princes whom 
Heaven has appointed the rulers of their re- 
spective countries. You commit the most cry- 
ing injustice; but Heaven regards the justice 
of our cause, and has given us the power to 
revenge our wrongs." This produced severe 
animadversions from a Chinese grandee, who 
viewed these barbarians and their complaints 
with the utmost contempt. He-tsung suffered 
frequently from indisposition, and died in 1627. 
Hwae-tsung was his successor. Very soon 
after his accession to the throne, the Mantchoo 
king advanced towards the Chinese frontier, 
and had the boldness to declare that Heaven 
had destined him to be emperor of China. 
Tae-tsung, their prince, had received a Chinese 
education ; he was well versed in the politics of 
the court of Peking, and knew how to resist 



432 MINQ DYNASTY. 

and defeat their stratagems. He endeavoured 
to lull the Chinese sovereign into a state of 
security. The letters he sent in order to state 
his complaints, were generally rejected; the 
Chinese monarch paid no regard to their con- 
tents, because it was below his dignity to do 
justice to barbarians. After having exhausted 
all his patience, Tae-tsung declared before 
his generals, that, with the help of Heaven, he 
would procure to them a large empire : *^ If you 
serve me faithfully, you may be confident that 
I shall reward you with riches and honours." 
Sae-tung solicited by his nobles, and the Mongol 
chiefs, adopted finally the title of emperor in 
1635 ; but the monarch would have repelled those 
insolent Tatars, if other rebellions had not dis* 
turbed the peace of the country. 

Robbers, who had enriched themselves with 
the spoils of their countrymen, and gathered 
around their standards all the vagabonds of the 
empire, bade defiance to the imperial anny. 
They collected their forces, and formed eight 
armies. To prevent war amongst themselves, 
they divided the empire, and every leader re- 
ceived a share. The most celebrated amongst 
them were Le and Shang. Shang took posses- 
sion of Sze-chuen and Ho-kwang, whilst Le 
marched to the conquest of Ho-nan, and in- 
vested the capital of Kae-fung; however, he 



^ 



MING DYNASTY. 433 

was forced to raise the siege, but shortly 
afterwards returned, determined to take the 
city. The imperial soldiers, prompted by de- 
spair, defended the place to the last. Their suf- 
ferings from want were so great, however, that hu- 
man flesh was regularly sold in the market ; and 
it was considered an act of charity to throw the 
bodies of the dead into the street, that the poor 
people might feed upon them. But all these 
horrors could not prevail upon the commander 
to surrender the place. All resources had failed, 
but suddenly a Chinese army approached, sent 
by the emperor to their relief. Great was the 
joy of the beleaguered. The imperial general 
fearing, that he would not be able to cope with 
the numerous rebel army, came to the desperate 
resolution of drowning their whole camp. He 
accordingly cut through the dykes of the Hwang- 
ho, which secured the country from inundation. 
As soon as the rebels perceived their dangerous 
situation, they hastily fled to the mountains, 
whilst the whole city was covered with the 
waters. More than 200,000 inhabitants perished 
in the flood, and the whole metropolis was one 
heap of ruins, 1642. 

Le-tsze-ching now advanced boldly, took pos- 
session of Ho-nan and Shen-se provinces, and 
killed all the mandarins, whilst he granted to 
the people a full exemption from taxes. This 

VOL. 1. F F 



434 MING DYNASTY. 

gained him the affection of the populace, the im- 
perial soldiers left their standards, and ranged 
under his banners, and Le no longer scrupled to 
proclaim himself emperor. 

After so many calamities, the sovereign had 
grown sullen ; he was averse to governing an em- 
pire, which groaned under such great calamities 
as were produced by the continual wars. His 
soldiers were without pay, and had scarcely the 
necessaries of life ; misery reigned throughout 
the court. When the emperor heard of the ap- 
proach of Le-tsze-ching to the capital, he was 
thrown into the utmost consternation. He had 
laid the whole province of Shen-se waste with 
fire and sword ; there remained only one city, 
Tae-yuen, faithful to its lawful sovereign. Le 
invested the place, but met with so fierce a 
resistance, that he almost despaired of taking it 
by assault. Having, however, determined upon 
its destruction, he advanced boldly ; the imperial 
party bravely defended themselves^ and a dread- 
ful carnage ensued, which very soon filled the 
ditches with corpses. Le was thus enabled 
to advance towards the walls, which he scaled. 
The imperial soldiers chose rather to die than to 
yield ; the rebels massacred them all, and after- 
wards set fire to the city. Regardless of the lives 
of his soldiers, Le sacrificed thousands before the 
fortresses, on his way to Peking. The army, 



MIKG DYNASTY. 435 

Stationed to protect the capital, threw down 
their arms ; the unhappy emperor silently awaited 
his fate. A traitorous eunuch opening the gates 
of the city, Lemade a triumphant entrance; and 
when Hwae-tsung saw that he could no longer 
depend upon any man, he called the grandees 
and his family together-- ^' All is lost," he ex- 
claimed, tears stood in his eyes ; he could speak 
no farther. The empress was deeply touched, 
she left the apartment, embraced her three 
young children, kissed them feryently, and 
strangled herself in a private apartment. He 
then called his daughter, a girl of fifteen years. 
** Why," said he, " are you bom of such an 
unhappy parent?" and aiming a blow at her 
with his sword, he levelled her to the ground. 
After this, he gave orders to all his wives and 
concubines to kill themselves; and dressed in 
the imperial robes, hastened to one of the city 
gates, but found at it the procession of the 
enemy. He again returned to the palace, and 
called together the grandees, but nobody obeyed 
his summons. He was now at the point of des- 
pair, forsaken by the whole world ; and went 
to the Wun-suy hill, where he wrote a paper, 
wherein he accused himself of having been 
the cause of so much misery, charging the 
grandees as his accomplices, and concluded by 
saying : *' Take my corpse, cut it in pieces, 1 am 

F F 2 



436 MING DYNASTY. 

content with this^ . but spare my people, and do 
them no wrong." When he had finished writing 
these sentences, he took his own girdle, and 
strangled himself. An eunuch, who had been 
witness of this tragic scene, followed his ex- 
ample. 

Thus ended the Ming dynasty. Unforeseen 
evils brought on its destruction. China was, on 
the whole, during the entire period of its con- 
tinuance, in a flourishing state. The intestine 
wars, which agitated the country, were very few, 
and of short duration. Few of the princes were 
vicious, many of them excellent rulers, and men 
of first-rate qualities ; but they only ruled over 
China Proper, and a few Tatar tribes ; so that 
the extent of territory, was far less than under 
their predecessors, the Yuen dynasty.* 

* See the Ming-she^ a work in 68 volumes, where the rea- 
der will find the most accurate and minute details of the events, 
upon which we have merely touched. 



END OF VOL. I. 



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